Shadow Wings
by twilitprincess
Summary: When everyone finds out about Meta Knight's wings, Dedede wants a new demon beast and Nightmare is ready to take back what is his. But with demons looking for him, and everyone turned against him, Meta Knight just might be losing what hope he has left...
1. Wings of a Demon

**My first Kirby story! This one is mainly focused on Meta Knight, but it will also focus on Kirby and DeDeDe because they are the other famous Kirby characters. It's not a completely focused on his past, but it's more like…he's having troubles because of his past. I don't know how to describe it. Just read it and see for yourself.**

**This story also goes off from the anime so that means Tiff is Fumu, Tuff is Bun, and DeDeDe doesn't have a freaky southern accent.**

**Lately, I've been a bit obsessed with Meta and the Kirby series thanks to Super Smash Bros. So when I read a bunch of awesome stories about Meta Knight, I decided that I had to write one! So I guess you could say they inspired me to do this. Thank you, Meta Knight storywriters!**

**I can't think of anything else to say except review! I'd love to know what you think.**

Two shadowy figures fought on the battlegrounds. One was a large, serpent beast. The other was a small fighter. The two battled fiercely. Sword scraped upon tooth, and they separated with a screeching sound. The snake struck again and again, its fangs dripping hungrily with deadly poison.

_The swordsman used his speed to his advantage and the snake missed. The horrible beast emitted a loud shriek as a portion of its tail was cut off. Writhing and twisting, it wrapped around its opponent, squeezing the life out of the swordsman. In response, the fighter dug its sword into the serpent's scales._

_For a long moment they stayed like that, gasping for breath. Then the snake passed out from the loss of blood, and loosened its grip. The champion got up and drove its sword into the beast's head, to insure instant death._

"_That's enough!" Boomed a deep voice._

_The winner slid its sword out and backed away from the defeated snake. _

"_You've defeated most of my best monsters." The voice continued, appearing to inspect the corpses. After a long moment of silence, the shadowy snapped his fingers and the bodies burst into purple flames. _

_The swordsman watched, eyes bright as its enemies turned to ash. As the flames cleared away, it looked at its master, eyes hungering for praise._

_A large grin curled over Nightmare's face. He turned to the masked puffball standing behind him. "You are truly a gem of a demon beast…"_

"_Meta Knight."_

"Okay, Kirby. That's enough for today. You did well."

"Poyo!" Kirby squealed happily, his eyes shining with praise.

Meta Knight gave him a curt nod, and Kirby took off the copy ability. The knight had been training Kirby by the river with swords today, and despite Kirby getting distracted by the occasional butterfly, he had performed quite well. Just looking at Kirby gave Meta Knight hope that the little puffball would soon be capable of defeating Nightmare. Until then, they would have to stay put and endure all of the demon beasts that King DeDeDe ordered. But to Meta Knight it was just more training—usually the demon beasts DeDeDe chose to buy were pathetic. Meta Knight had only ever helped Kirby once or twice when the event was serious.

The Star Warrior turned and started to walk back towards the castle. He felt a tug on his cape and looked back to see Kirby holding onto it. He smiled and continued to pull at it. Meta Knight sighed, "Go play with your friends. You fought hard today and you deserve a rest." _So do I. _Meta added silently. The hyperactive puffball had been a handful.

Kirby blinked a couple of times, and then took off running for the village, calling goodbyes over his shoulder. Meta Knight couldn't help but feel proud and left to make the long walk back to the castle.

Once he got inside, he was about to head for his room to rest, but decided to take a detour instead. He passed by the King's chamber, listening intently. Just as he expected, he heard the loud voice of DeDeDe and Escargon. His eyes widened with interest as he heard a third voice. It was the Customer Service man.

The king was ordering a new demon beast.

Meta Knight opened the door ever so slightly. It gave a protesting creak, but the two were so engrossed in buying a demon that neither of them noticed.

"Did you notice any weakness of Kirby's that we could use to our advantage?" The purple-haired man on the screen asked.

"None! That puffball's as tough as a rock!" DeDeDe said, flipping through a demon beast catalogue. "I want this one!" He held up a picture of a goofy-looking monster. Meta Knight sighed inwardly. He had seen enough. It was just the usual threat. He closed the door quietly and continued on his way.

Escargon looked much more interested in what the man had to say. "I've noticed a few." He said, smirking, "How about when Kirby inhales? He always needs someone to tell him what to do. Maybe if we get him away from everyone else…"

The sales guy gasped, "Your Excellency Escargon! That is genius."

King DeDeDe scowled, and had to refrain from hitting the snail with his hammer. "So what are you suggesting?" He growled, glaring at Customer Service.

The man shrugged, "We'll send a demon beast that will do the job. And we'll even cut the price in half." The king came out of his grumpy mood smiling.

"You have yourself a deal!" He said, turning off the TV. The picture of the sales guy disappeared.

Back at Holy Nightmare Co. the man turned to the shadowy figure standing behind him, smiling devilishly. "You see?" The shadow said in a deep voice, "That is how you perform a con, my friend. They think it's their idea when really it is ours."

Both let out long deep laughs.

The next day, Kirby was playing in the town with Bun and friends, while Fumu sat nearby, her nose buried in a book. Every once in a while, she'd glare up at the group of children, as if daring them to be rough with Kirby.

But the kids were having fun, and for once, Kirby wasn't getting kicked or thrown around. Meta Knight stood behind a nearby building, making sure that the kids played safely. He was expecting a demon to show up at any moment. "Catch, Kirby!" Bun shouted, throwing his friend the ball. Kirby caught it and dodged around the town kids playing with them. He threw it back to Bun, waving his arms wildly. Bun missed it and it bounced past him.

"Darn it!" He cursed, "That was your fault Kirby! I was wide open!"

Fumu snapped her book shut and opened her mouth for an angry retort, but suddenly, a large shadow passed over the town. Bun stopped running after the ball and looked up. Fumu screamed, as the villagers were thrown into a panic.

A large, crow-like demon hovered above the town. Its wings were large and black, as well as its tail, that whipped out behind it, twice as long as its body. Its eyes were red points. It opened its beak in a roar, revealing needle-like rows of teeth. Craning its neck, it searched the panicked crowd for its predetermined target.

A flash of pink…and the bird was swooping down out of the sky, talons outstretched. Kirby squealed as the demon snatched him off the ground and rose into the sky. It beat its wings a couple of times to gain altitude, and, with one last screech, took off away from the town.

"Kirby!" Fumu shrieked, tears dotting her eyes.

Bun ran after them, panting, but the bird was much faster. He stopped towards the end of the town, waving his fist and shouting curses at the bird.

Meta Knight stepped out from his hiding place and watched the demon intently. The rest of the village gathered behind him, whispering nervously, but he paid no attention to them. He stared at the pair, fading in the distance, willing Kirby to attack it. But he never did. The poor puffball just cried his little lungs out, not knowing what to do.

There went all their hopes, flying away over the horizon. Without Kirby, they would not defeat Nightmare. He couldn't lose now…he had to survive for the final battle! Nobody could have hoped to catch up to them on foot.

It was then that Meta Knight knew what he had to do. He took out his sword and it formed in sparks of electricity. Taking a deep breath, he let his long-hidden wings sprout from his back. He heard screams and gasps from behind him, but he didn't care. Right now, his first priority was to rescue Kirby.

He spread the dark purple wings and lifted off, flapping them frantically. They felt stiff and creaked in protest, but he continued to push upwards. When he was up high enough, he shot after the demon beast. Laying his wings flat against the wind, he cut through the night sky like a knife through butter. The wind was on his side that day, as it pushed him on towards his goal.

The demon was slow, taking its time with its prey. It didn't know that he was coming, speeding like the fastest bullet. As he tore after the bird, his own power to fly made him feel elated. Why he had kept his wings hidden for so long, he had forgotten. Right now, he was just enjoying the wind on his masked face.

Sooner than he expected, he caught up to the bird. He barely had time to register the surprise on the demon beast's face before he barreled into it. All three plunged down, hitting the ground painfully. Luckily, the bird had broken Meta Knight's fall.

He leapt off the mass of black feathers and backed away, replacing his wings with his cape. The crow-like monster still clutched Kirby in its claws. Kirby struggled wildly, his eyes pleading Meta Knight to help him.

Meta Knight stared back at Kirby, distracted. The demon saw its chance and struck out with its free foot. The knight barely dodged, and the claws shredded his cape. He looked at the scraps of purple left on the ground. Glaring at the monster, he charged forward, brandishing his sword.

The bird roared, snapping its beak aggressively. It came to meet Meta Knight's attack, teeth bared, ready to tear, but Meta Knight was small and quick. He bounded forward, driving his sword deep into the demon's throat.

It choked on its own blood, its beady eyes wide with surprise. The bird collapsed in a heap of feathers. A second later, it disappeared in a puff of smoke. Stooping down, the swordsman wiped his sword on the grass, and then made his way over to Kirby.

"Are you all right?" He asked.

"Poyo…" Kirby whimpered, eyes wide. The veteran Star Warrior looked down to see the deep scratches in the puffballs side. That was where the talons had dug in the deepest. Meta Knight sat down next to the pink puffball and placed his gloves tenderly on the wound. He pressed against them for a few minutes, and then took his hands away. The blood had stopped flowing. Most of it was on his gloves.

"Can you fly back with me?" Meta Knight asked. Kirby whined slightly. Meta Knight nodded, "I'll fly us back." He let his wings appear again, hoping the little warrior wouldn't feel frightened of him. Instead, Kirby just squeaked happily and jumped into his arms. Meta Knight leapt through the air and began to soar back to the village, Kirby tucked under his arm.

As they flew, he saw Kirby watching the way he flapped his wings as they rode the wind. The old knight felt relieved that the baby warrior wasn't afraid. The wings seemed to intrigue him…it even looked like Kirby was proud of Meta Knight for some reason.

When they got back, it was nearly sunset. Everyone was waiting in the town square. He landed heavily on the ground, and released Kirby, who ran back to his friends, smiling. Fumu grabbed him and held him close. He then noticed everyone giving him looks of fear and anger.

Meta Knight felt his heart sink, and he put his wings away. _This _was why he had kept his wings hidden.

"Meta Knight you lied." Came a voice filled with rage. Meta Knight looked into the unforgiving eyes of Fumu. "You've been a demon beast all along. I thought we could trust you, but now I know I was wrong. You've probably been trying to get us all wrapped around your little finger all along, so then you could attack Kirby."

"That's not true." He said quietly.

"Then how do you explain the wings?!" She screamed, "You kept this hidden from us! Only demon beasts from Nightmare have those wings…you're…you're a monster!"

Fumu didn't know how much those words stung Meta Knight. He backed away, eyes wide. "No…" He murmured.

Other villagers seemed to feel braver at her words. They started to talk amongst themselves and even shouted a thing or two, "Yeah, he always did seem a little shady!" "Fumu's probably right." "Remember how he almost killed Kirby in that duel?" "I don't want him near my children!" "Drive him out of town!"

The townspeople were closing around him, looking furious and frightened. Women hugged their children close to them and the men clenched their fists, looking as if they were going to attack.

_They have a right to be scared… _He thought, looking down at himself. His gloves were stained with Kirby's blood and his cape was in tatters. Who wouldn't have been afraid of him? A rock sailed past his face with a whooshing sound.

"Go back to where you came from monster!" Bun growled, as if he had never seen Meta Knight in his life. His gang backed him up, shouting rude things at the poor knight. Kirby broke away from Fumu and pushed to the front of the gang, waving his stubby arms angrily. Meta Knight realized that the puffball meant to defend him.

"Poyo poyo! Poyo!" Kirby snapped, glaring daggers at the children.

"Kirby, you fight demon beasts!" Hohhe shouted, "Kill him!"

"Make him leave!" Honey demanded.

Kirby shook his head furiously.

Meta Knight began to walk away, heading for out of town. Villagers hissed as he passed by. Just when he thought he was past all of the derision and criticism, a stone connected with the back of his right arm. It stung painfully. He turned around, facing Bun, Fumu, and Kirby.

"Can't you go any faster?!" Bun growled, picking up another stone.

"Why don't you use those wings of yours and just fly home?" Fumu said crossly, holding onto Kirby tightly. He struggled wildly in her arms, squeaking protests.

Another rock came flying in his direction, but by then, the Star Warrior was in the air, flying away from the town and the citizens.

"Yeah, I thought so!" Bun called after him, stomping his feet. Pouting, he ran back to his sister. Both had trusted Meta Knight and now they felt betrayed. Fumu let go of Kirby, and the puffball took off running after Meta Knight.

"Poyo!" He called, as the two kids ran after him, shouting for him to stop, "Poyooo!"

But Meta Knight had disappeared into the sky.


	2. A Night in the Forest

**Wow. Lots of reviews for one chapter…I'm not used to that. O.o Thanks to you all! If you have constructive criticism, I'll try to fix it, but if I don't it's cause it's probably become a habit of mine. Either that or the office assistant went and changed it. So yeah…here's the next chapter! Gives cookies to all reviewers**

Meta Knight soared above the clouds, shame spreading throughout his veins. He did not dare to look back. That demon beast had ruined everything. In order to save Kirby, he had to reveal his wings to everyone. He tried to tell himself that it was all for a good reason. After all, it was Kirby that would save everyone in the end, not him. Kirby was the one who needed to survive and fight. He was the one who needed to train him and make sure that happened.

As he continued his journey towards the castle, he nearly stopped in mid-flight. Questions began to race through his mind. What would happen when he got there? Would the news have already reached the castle? What would Sword and Blade think? What would King Dedede do? His eyes turned green as he thought these things. Gossip traveled quickly in this peaceful land, and the king was always the first one to find out about it.

Suddenly unsure of himself, the knight pointed his wings in a new direction—toward the forest. For now, the only thing to do was wait and see what events would unfold. Meta Knight did not want to be around when Dedede found out about his dark secret.

* * *

"What do you mean Meta Knight is a demon beast?!" Dedede shouted in surprise, turning to face the small orange puffball standing before him.

"Sir, he had bat wings! He was definitely a demon beast! That's what the villagers said." Waddle Doo replied, his one eye large and worried. Dedede exchanged a glance with Escargon. Both of them looked excited. The penguin and snail ordered Waddle Doo from the room and went to their large TV.

After clicking a few buttons, they faced the picture of Customer Service. He had a large smile on his face, as if he had been expecting them. "Well if it isn't His Majesty and His Excellency Escargon."

"Why didn't you tell me Meta Knight was a demon beast?" King Dedede demanded, not even bothering to say hi. "I could have used him to defeat Kirby! He hasn't even been of use to me yet…and if he's working for you, why hasn't _he _said anything?"

"Your Majesty, Meta Knight is a disloyal demon beast. We did not say anything because he is no longer working for us and has, in fact, turned against us."

"Why did he turn against you?" Escargon spoke up, "Why isn't he a demon beast anymore?"

"Something went wrong when we made him." Customer Service replied, "He was the perfect demon beast for the longest time. Although small, he had skill and intelligence, and was able to defeat the toughest of our demon beasts. Time passed and he began to change. We tried our best to fix him, but it was too late. He escaped."

Dedede took this info to heart, but never realized that the man he was talking to was leaving out a few crucial details about Meta Knight's past. The king was too intent on what he would do with his new knowledge. "How can we make him a demon beast again?" Dedede said eagerly. If Meta Knight could defeat all those demon beasts, then he would be perfect for destroying Kirby! All they needed to do now was make him evil again…if it were possible.

Customer Service answered his thoughts. "Over the years, Holy Nightmare has improved. If you bring him to us, we will make him right again. And then…Kirby's life will be over." He laughed evilly, but the other two didn't join him.

"Where's Meta Knight?" DeDeDe said sharply, "Bring him here! Immediately!"

"Waddle Doo!" Escargon called. Moments later, the servant appeared, flanked by two Waddle Dees holding spears.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" The Waddle Doo said, looking from Dedede to Escargon.

"Fetch Meta Knight." Escargon told the servant, "Bring him here. If he asks why, don't tell him anything."

The Waddle Doo blinked a couple of times before replying, "His location is currently unknown, sir. The villagers chased him out of town and he hasn't come back since."

Dedede slammed his fist angrily against the chair and swore.

"No need to fret, Your Majesty," Customer Service said quickly, "we will provide a demon beast that will track him down as soon as possible. Expect it to come tonight. Meanwhile, we will begin the preparations."

Without being dismissed, Customer Service broke their connection. The TV blinked off, and he turned once more to the dark figure behind him.

"Everything is going according to plan. Kirby will soon be dead. Which demon beast shall we send to fetch Meta Knight?"

"Send the ninja. He will provide a good match. But make it clear that we want him captured, not killed."

"As you wish."

"And make sure to not leave him in the hands of that penguin fool!" The figure spat suddenly, "I don't want my precious demon beast under his control. We are not going to pass up this chance to make Meta Knight ours once more…"

* * *

Dusk was approaching. Meta Knight had flown down and landed on the forest floor, but he had underestimated the trees. The branches had scratched up his wings as he came in for the rough landing. Not only that, but they were extremely sore from lack of use.

As the sun began to set, he felt his cape reappear as his wings were tucked away. He sighed and sat down at the base of a tree, wondering what to do next. How could he train Kirby if everyone was going to chase him away? If only there were some way he could prove his innocence. The villagers hadn't even taken into account that he had saved Kirby's life. The only thing they had thought about were those fearsome wings…

A loud rustling interrupted his thoughts and he felt his hand automatically move to the hilt of his sword. He waited, his body tensed, his eyes darting around the clearing. A moment later, an orange and white animal appeared from the undergrowth. It carried a couple apples in its arms and one in its mouth. Upon seeing Meta Knight, the apple fell from his mouth in shock.

Setting the fruit down on the ground, it approached him warily. "I haven't seen you around here. Are you new?" It said cautiously. Meta Knight didn't respond. He felt his hand relax his grip on the hilt. It was just a hamster.

"My name's Rick." The hamster went on, "What's your name?"

"Meta Knight…" He mumbled.

Rick's ears twitched. "Couldn't quite catch that." He said, tilting his head to one side, "I guess it doesn't matter. What does matter is that you look hungry. Have an apple." The hamster leaned down and rolled the apple across the forest floor to Meta Knight. It hit his foot with a soft pat and he stood there, staring down at it. "Don't tell me you've never seen an apple before!" Rick laughed, "Because if you haven't, you'll have to get used to it. Apples are pretty much our main diet around here."

As soon as he finished speaking, another rustling caught their attention and two more animals emerged from the undergrowth. One was a purple squirrel with orange stripes. The other was a large brown boar. The two critters approached Rick.

"Rick, who's this?" The squirrel said with some surprise.

"Another resident." Rick replied, motioning to Meta Knight.

The boar approached cautiously and sniffed the knight loudly, nudging him with his snout. Meta Knight backed away.

"Stop that!" Rick said, "It's rude. How would you like it if I came up and sniffed you like that?" The boar snorted in response.

Meta Knight, sick of being treated like a wild animal, turned away and disappeared through the undergrowth.

"Hey! Come back!" Rick shouted after him.

"No, don't bring it back!" The squirrel squeaked, "It may be a predator! It'll probably eat us all while we sleep! Let's go home."

"I'm pretty sure it's a he," Rick said, glaring at his friends. "and you two didn't exactly roll out the welcome wagon, now did you?"

"Well, he's gone now." The squirrel said, scampering away with her two friends close behind her, "Anyways, it's getting late. We should go back to Acore and get some rest."

Rick nodded, always looking forward to spending the night in the large tree's comfy hollow. He led the way home with the squirrel and the boar trailing behind him.

Meanwhile, Meta Knight had retreated to a darker part of the forest so the local animals wouldn't disturb him. He found a soft spot of grass and proceeded to wrap what was left of his cape around him. It served as a poor excuse for a blanket.

He lay there for a long while, cold and troubled. His eyes glowed in the darkness. Once or twice, a small animal would pass, heading home for the night. Upon seeing his piercing eyes, they would flee into the darkness, shrieking out an alarm call.

Finally, after what seemed forever, his eyes faded to a dark shade of amber and he drifted off into a light sleep.

* * *

"Kirby, why don't you come to bed? It's really late." Fumu said, sitting on her bed with a book in her lap. Kirby stood at the window, looking out into the night. She closed the book, sighing, "He's not out there Kirby. He can't hurt you while you're safe in here. Now come to bed."

Kirby didn't respond.

The two siblings, afraid that Kirby might go looking for Meta Knight, had taken him in for somewhat of a sleepover. They had provided much food and entertainment, but Kirby didn't seem to want to participate. All he wanted to do was look out the window, eyes searching sadly for his lost mentor.

They had given up at some point after their parents had gone to bed, and decided to just let Kirby be. As long as he didn't go outside, they knew they could keep an eye on him. And yet, Fumu was starting to get impatient.

"Kirby, you really should stop worrying!" She snapped, "We're you're friends, not him! That's why we look after you and play with you all the time. Isn't that right?"

Kirby looked at her sadly. "Poyo…" He murmured, signaling outside the window.

The girl got up from her bed and walked over to the window. She placed both of her hands on his soft body and picked him up. Holding him up to her face, she said, "Seriously Kirby. Why do you always insist on making friends with demon beasts? First there was that robotic dog, then Chilly, and that purple monster…"

"Poyo!" Kirby protested, struggling to get away.

Fumu couldn't understand why he was so obsessed with befriending demon beasts when he was surrounded by kind people who cared for him. She couldn't help but feel a little jealous at Kirby's behavior. She carried him over to the bed and sat him down.

"Okay Kirby. Have it your way. But really, you need to get some sleep."

Kirby got up. His eyes were hard and determined. She tried to push him back down gently, but he refused to budge. She tried to calm him with soothing words, but none would work. Eventually, she came up with another idea.

"I know Kirby!" She said, trying to smile, "If you go to sleep, I promise we'll go out and look for Meta Knight first thing in the morning. Okay?"

At these words, Kirby settled down, smiling brightly at Fumu.

"Good night Kirby." She said, lying down.

"Goo nigh!" Kirby tried to say back.

Fumu patted his head, smiling back at him, but deep down inside, she knew that she had just lied to her little friend.

* * *

A shadowy figure crossed the castle drawbridge, exiting the gate. Its eyes shone red in the midnight gloom, yet no Waddle Dee could even see it as it crept stealthily by. With fox-like guile, it slipped past the last of the castle guards and walked along the deserted path that led to the town.

It stopped just short of the town and turned to the forest looming in front of it. The smallest of smirks creased its lips.

"If I know my old friend well…" It hissed, "I'll find him in there."

Its eyes flashed red with excitement as the ninja began its hunt for the Star Warrior...

As Yamikage began his hunt for Meta Knight.

* * *

**Cliffhanger! Yamikage is scary…but isn't Rick so nice? Remember to review on your way out. :D**


	3. Confrontation

**This might be the last chapter for a while because school starts. Thanks for the reviews…they made me smile! Umm…well, I hope I got everything right in this chapter. And since I refuse to watch the English dub of Kirby and I haven't seen all of the Japanese ones because they haven't been translated I have a question…does Yamikage ever come back for revenge? Please tell me I wanna know! ;.; Enjoy the next chapter although it's a bit…violent.**

Meta Knight woke up to the sound of cheerful bird song. Sitting up, he realized that the sun had barely made its way over the horizon, and yet this forest had already sprung to life. His bones creaked as he forced himself to stand. The night had been an uncomfortable, dreamless one and he felt sore from lying on the hard ground. As soon as he was on his feet, his stomach let out a loud growl.

Cursing himself for not accepting Rick's apple, he decided he wouldn't find any breakfast sitting around like this, so he began to trek back into the woods, hoping he would find some source of food.

Little did Meta Knight know, as he slowly began to search for food, a certain ninja was searching for him. Yamikage was gaining on Meta Knight fast, and with every step the Star Warrior took; his hunter was coming closer and closer.

* * *

Kirby woke up bright and early that morning, excited by the idea that he would soon be reunited with his teacher. He hopped to his large pink feet and bounced over to where Fumu was sleeping with the covers pulled over her head. He poked her with his soft paw, letting out a joyous, "Poyo!"

Fumu rolled over and grunted. Kirby prodded her even harder, repeating himself over and over. Finally, Fumu swatted him away sleepily and grumbled, "Stop, Kirby."

"Poyo! Po-Poyo!" Kirby said, waving his stubs of arms in the air. What he meant was along the lines of, "Come on! You said you would help look for Meta Knight!" but the girl had no idea what he was saying.

She yawned and muttered, "No…go away. Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?" She had completely forgotten what she had said to Kirby last night. Right now, she just wanted to sleep, and maybe play with Kirby later on when she was awake.

"Poyo!" Kirby insisted sadly. "Poy…" But Fumu wasn't listening. Kirby thought about what she had said, and decided that his friend wasn't going to help him look after all. Looking down at her sadly, he let out the smallest of whimpers, and jumped off the bed. As quietly as he could, he tiptoed over to the door, exited, and pulled it shut behind him.

Once he was outside the castle, he knew exactly where to go. Although many people thought Kirby was thickheaded because all he could say was "poyo," he had remembered the direction Meta Knight had flown. As he ran towards where the knight had disappeared, the forest came into view, and it was then that he knew for certain where his mentor was. Without a moment of hesitation, he charged into the forest.

Minutes later, the puffball realized that charging randomly into the forest had not been wise and he soon found himself lost.

Kirby took a deep breath, puffed himself up, and floated up above the trees, making sure to avoid the branches that attempted to block his path. Once he was higher up, he settled on a higher branch and surveyed his surroundings. Unluckily, the only thing he could see was tree after tree.

"Hey Kirby!" A familiar voice called up to him, "What's up? Are you looking for something?" Kirby looked down through the leaves to see Rick waving up at him. Kirby climbed back down to speak with the hamster.

"Poyo!" Kirby said, once he was on the ground again.

Rick blinked a couple of times. "Nah, it's useless." He sighed, "I'll never understand you. Come to think of it though, are you looking for that other guy that passed through here yesterday? He looked kind of like a puffball only he had armor…"

"Poyo!" Kirby shrieked happily.

Rick smiled. "That's what you're looking for?"

Kirby nodded enthusiastically, and signaled to the trees around him as if to ask, "Which way did he go?"

"Maybe I do understand you after all." The hamster said, "I'm pretty sure I know which way he went. I have a good nose, so I can probably lead you to where he is." And with that, the two began to wander through the forest, Rick crawling on all floors with his nose to the ground and Kirby making sure to follow behind.

Eventually, they came to a shadier part of the forest, where Meta Knight had slept for the night. Rick paused, shaking slightly. "This is as far as I go. I've heard rumors of wolves living back in these parts…"

Kirby tilted his head to one side, unsure of what to do next.

"Your friend was here," Rick told him, "I think he camped out here for the night. Anyways, I'm pretty sure he went that way." Rick pointed through the trees, "There's a cliff that way so be careful not to fall off. If we're lucky, you'll find him." The hamster turned and began to run, with one last goodbye to the puffball.

Kirby nodded, feeling determined, and ran in the direction Rick told him to, hoping that he would see his lost friend again soon.

* * *

Meta Knight's stomach groaned loudly. The swordsman had failed to find a trace of food in this part of the forest and it didn't help he had no idea where he was going. Soon enough, he came to a field that ended in a cliff. Standing on the edge of the cliff, he looked down to see a small clearing at the bottom surrounded by trees. It looked like a nice place to rest.

He opened his wings and glided gracefully down, landing at the base of the cliff. He sat down, and recognized that he had become thirsty during his long walk. Even his arm still hurt from Bun's rock. Looking down at his ruined cape and bloodstained gloves, he grasped what a mess he had become.

Sighing, he leaned against the sheer rock wall behind him, and let his thoughts drift elsewhere. After many minutes of sitting there peacefully, he realized how quiet everything had become. The birds had ceased their singing, casting a silent gloom over the whole forest. The wind was gone, and neither tree nor leaf stirred. The calm stillness was unsettling and Meta Knight shifted uncomfortably.

Before he could move or do anything else, a shuriken flew out of nowhere and nearly struck his foot. Yamikage appeared in front of him in a puff of smoke. Meta Knight's heart nearly stopped.

"It's been a while, Meta Knight." Yamikage said in his low, mysterious voice.

The knight unsheathed Galaxia, his eyes sparking dangerously. He pointed the blade at Yamikage and hissed, "Kirby is not training with me today. If you've been sent to attack him, then you have-!"

"When did I say I had come to attack Kirby?" Yamikage said, smirking ever so slightly. Those words chilled Meta Knight's veins. "My master has plans for the puffball, but not yet. Not until he gets the right demon beast…"

Meta Knight tried to find the right words to say. He was completely dumbfounded by how much worse the situation had suddenly become. "Traitor!" Meta Knight growled, for he remembered a time when Yamikage had not called anyone master, when he had served along side him in the Galaxy Soldier Army…

"That makes two of us." Yamikage replied, every word of his boring into Meta Knight like a knife. Yet, the ninja was right. They were both traitors to their origin. "Enough talk!" Yamikage spat suddenly, "I have a job to do and I shall fulfill it!" Springing forward, he pelted shurikens at Meta Knight, who held his sword up to block them.

Charging forward, the demon beast reached back and pulled out his sword to wage warfare against his enemy. Meta Knight met the challenge and both swords clashed with a ringing screech. As both made contact, pain seared up Meta Knight's bruised arm and he bit back a cry of shock. Trying his best to ignore it, the two continued to spar, moving about the clearing with agility and skill.

Yamikage grunted as both continued to fight. They were an equal match, but Meta Knight knew that his injuries were making him weak, and therefore, he would eventually be the first to give in. His arm feeling like it was about to fall off, the knight knew that he had a chance to escape with his dignity intact.

Spreading his wings, Meta Knight sailed over Yamikage's head and began to make his getaway. He heard a snarl from behind as the ninja shouted, "Fuujin no Jutsu!" and a large gust of wind hit Meta Knight at full force. It gathered beneath his wings and propelled him into the side of the cliff. He felt the pain run up his back and then his wings as he hit the ground. He simply felt too weak to put them away, and forced himself up with the extra weight of his wings. Yamikage came at him with his sword and he barely managed to dodge a swipe of the blade.

They continued their endless duel, Meta Knight disregarding his terrible soreness. Both slicing at one another with their weapons, the Star warrior gave a great blow to Yamikage's head, sending the demon reeling backwards. _Time to finish this! _Meta Knight thought, lifting his sword high into the air. He began to charge a sword beam and Yamikage's eyes widened in alarm.

Right before he was about to unleash the powerful attack, he heard a faint cry above him, causing him to look up. "Kirby?" He exclaimed in surprise.

"Poyooo!" Kirby called down the side of the cliff, standing above Meta Knight and his opponent. He was smiling with relief, overjoyed at having found his friend. That joy quickly evaporated as Yamikage saw Meta Knight's distraction, and used it to his advantage. Pulling out two shurikens, he whipped them at the knight. Both hit their targets and pierced the shadowy wings of Meta Knight, pinning him to the side of the cliff. Galaxia flew through the air and landed out of reach.

Meta Knight let out an unearthly scream of pure pain. Kirby shrieked at the sight of blood before him, his eyes wide and filled with terror. Yamikage stood there and laughed, "Thank you Kirby for helping me with that. Now I suggest you leave before you get tangled in this mess." He glared at Kirby with a piercing red gaze.

Kirby called down to Meta Knight worriedly. Fear filled him up when the knight didn't respond nor move.

"Poyo! Poyo!" Kirby cried out, moving forward to scramble down the side of the cliff.

"No, Kirby!" Meta Knight said sharply, looking up. "Get out of here _now_!"

Meta Knight's tone made Kirby pause in mid-scramble. He looked down at his mentor, his face confused yet determined to save him.

"I'll be all right." Meta Knight said weakly, although he looked anything but all right as his wings bled heavily, turning them scarlet. "Now go!"

Looking unconvinced, Kirby began to climb down the cliff again, but Meta Knight called out once more, this time sounding more confident. "Kirby, if you want to help, go get Sword and Blade! They will know what to do. Please Kirby, I'm counting on you."

Kirby stopped, finally looking convinced. Giving his tutor an understanding nod, he disappeared over the top of the cliff and went running in the direction of the castle. They waited until his footsteps faded away before moving. Yamikage approached Meta Knight until they stood face to face.

"You know he won't bring them in time." Yamikage said quietly, eyes glittering maliciously. Meta Knight looked away, too tired to put up a fight.

"I know." He answered.

Yamikage smiled ever so slightly, and pulled a needle filled with a purple liquid from out of nowhere. "You won't be able to protect him much longer. In fact, you would have had a better chance of him surviving if you had let him help."

Meta Knight fixed his eyes on the serum. "What is that?" He asked curiously, starting to feel anxious.

"It's nothing, really." Yamikage replied, "Just a little sleeping drug. Trust me, it'll hurt a lot more than you think." He snickered at his joke. Meta Knight's eyes filled with emotion as Yamikage stepped forward and held up the needle.

"You still haven't told me why you left…" He said quietly.

Yamikage just sneered, stuck the needle into Meta Knight's skin, and injected the liquid. Meta Knight jerked at the sharp pain, but almost immediately settled as he fell limp and his eyes faded. Yamikage walked over to Galaxia and picked it up. Then he turned to Meta Knight's unconscious form and said evilly,

"We'd better take this…you'll be needing it."


	4. Blood Red Eyes

**Man I'm tired…it's so late right now, but I'm putting this up anyways so you better review! Poor Mety, always getting his soul stolen. It get stolen in my Super Smash Bros. Story too, so read that if you have the time. Thanks!**

**Might not be some updates for a while after this, just so you know.**

"Hey Bun! Have you seen Kirby around?" Fumu called, walking through the halls of the castle. Bun, who had been looking through the castle for his lost soccer ball, stopped and walked over to talk to his sister.

"No I haven't." He said, sounding puzzled, "I thought he was with you."

"Well _I _thought he was with _you_." Fumu said, starting to look a little bit worried. Bun shrugged it off.

"I'm sure he's fine."

"What if he went looking for Meta Knight?" Fumu gasped.

Bun facepalmed himself. "Shoot! I totally forgot about that!"

Fumu was close to panicking. "This is just what Meta Knight would want! For Kirby to come looking for him alone so he could take him out when no one can help…oh Bun, we have to find him!" She grabbed his hand and they began to dash down the halls. Upon turning a corner, both halted and screamed.

A red-eyed demon was making its way towards them, dragging a net behind it. It didn't pay any attention to the children as it stalked past them, but what they saw in the net made them scream even louder. Meta Knight's body, bruised and battered, was being dragged along the ground, leaving a trail of blood in its wake. He looked like a complete mess, with his wings bent at odd angles spattered with blood, and his eyes dark and cloudy. They backed against the wall as Yamikage passed by without a word.

"Why…how…" Fumu said hoarsely, trying to find the right words.

"You still think Meta Knight is a demon beast?" Bun whimpered, "If he was, then why would his accomplice be dragging his body in a net? Fumu, I think you were wrong…"

"_I _was wrong? You're the one that threw stones at him!" Fumu screamed suddenly.

"You're the one that called him a monster in the first place!" Bun snapped back.

"Well, demon beast or not, Meta Knight lied to us and maybe its better that Yamikage is taking him away. Now he won't be able to harm Kirby any longer." Fumu said firmly, although she doubted her own words. "Speaking of Kirby, we have to find him now! What if that ninja got to him?" Both gave a determined nod and continued running for the exit of the castle.

* * *

"Poyo!" Kirby shouted, pounding his paws against the door to Meta Knight's room. "Sod! Bwade! Poyooo!" He yelled repeatedly, nearly knocking over the door. The door opened quite suddenly, nearly bowling the little puffball off his feet. There stood Sword and Blade, Meta Knight's two apprentices.

"Kirby? What's wrong?" Sword asked.

"Have you seen Sir Meta Knight?" Blade questioned, "He didn't come back tonight and we were starting to get worried…"

Apparently, neither of the swordsmen had heard about Meta Knight's wings, but that didn't matter at the moment. Kirby jumped up and down, whimpering desperately. At once, both could tell something was wrong. The little Star warrior took off running down the hall, the knights following closely.

"Poyo!" Kirby called out, his cries echoing throughout the empty halls as they made a beeline for the throne room.

* * *

Dedede, meanwhile, had stayed up all night in his throne room, too excited to sleep. Not feeling even a tiny bit tired; he waited eagerly for his new demon beast to arrive. Later that morning, when the door to his chambers suddenly opened, he could have jumped for joy. Yamikage came walking in, dragging an unconscious Meta Knight behind him.

A normal person probably would have screamed something like, "Oh my goodness! Someone help that poor puffball!" but Dedede merely snapped, "Hey, you're getting blood all over my new carpet!"

Yamikage ignored these words and dumped the net at Dedede's feet. The penguin stepped forward and examined Meta Knight as if he had never seen him before. "Hey, you killed him! We wanted him alive!"

"He's not dead." Yamikage said irritably. "But he will be unless we get him in the transporter right now."

"All right." Dedede said, looking around the empty throne room. "Escargon is still sleeping, but I'm sure I can get some Waddle Dees to get him on the transporter." The king left to go get the Waddle Dees while Yamikage stayed with Meta Knight. The ninja blinked his red, pupiless eyes slowly.

"It won't be long now Meta Knight." He said quietly, "Ironic isn't it? You always thought you were such a strong, noble Star warrior. Maybe after this is done you'll see that you made a better demon beast after all. I know I sure did." His eyes glowed at these foul words. Moments later, King Dedede returned with a small group of the red puffballs.

He instructed them to lock the doors behind them, and guided them over to the unmoving form of Meta Knight.

"Get him out of the net and set him on the transporter." He instructed, "And be very careful with his wings. They look delicate, and we don't want to mess anything up more than the ninja already has."

Yamikage stepped back from the net, oblivious to Dedede's scorching words. The Waddle Dees swarmed around Meta Knight and started pulling him from the net, trying their best to obey their master's wishes. As they began to drag Meta Knight over to the transporter, one Waddle Dee took a clumsy step and they fell in a heap on the floor.

Dedede scowled impatiently as they scrambled to their feet and finally got Meta Knight on the transporter.

"He is ready to be transported. Once we send him over, he will return as a finely crafted demon beast. Are you ready?"

Dedede nodded. Suddenly, the large TV appeared and the screen clicked on. Customer Service appeared. "What are you waiting for?" The man said excitedly, "Send him over!"

King Dedede walked over to his throne and got ready to send Meta Knight over, but something held him in place. He paused and swallowed. All eyes were on him. His hand trembling above the button, he was about to push it, but found he couldn't. Everyone saw him hesitate. "Um, how about we keep him here for now?" The king said uncertainly, "I'm sure he would attack Kirby if I asked him to…we really don't need him to be a demon beast, now do we?"

"Send him over." Customer Service said in a low voice.

"Or I will." Yamikage said dangerously, taking a step forward.

"Hey! You can't talk to me like that, I'm the king!" Dedede bellowed, acting more like himself at the idea of being threatened. Suddenly, a fierce pounding filled the room and the door shook violently.

"Poyo!" Kirby shrieked from outside.

"Sir Meta Knight!"

"Can you hear us?"

"Sir!"

"Get out of there!"

"What are you doing with our lord?!"

"Poyooo!"

Yamikage's eyes glittered and he stepped onto the transporter along with Meta Knight. "You do want to defeat Kirby, don't you?" He hissed.

Dedede nodded, Kirby's voice making him feel angry. That puffball had been nothing but a nuisance the first time he laid eyes on him. He brought his fist down on the button and Meta Knight and Yamikage disappeared in a brilliant flash. Yamikage's evil laughter could still be heard even after he left the room…

"Poyo!" Kirby cried from the other side of the door, tears filling his eyes. "Poy…o…" Sword and Blade shook their heads, filled with sadness and anger.

"We were too late…" Blade murmured, knowing that Meta Knight had been taken away from them. Both bent down and hugged Kirby who hugged them back gratefully. "It's okay." They told him. "Sir Meta Knight will be okay." But both didn't have faith in their words. Even Kirby knew that Meta Knight would indeed not be okay…

* * *

Meta Knight opened his eyes. His vision was clouded and blurred, and he couldn't make out where he was. Trying to stretch his aching limbs, he found that he was strapped down to a cold metal table. He felt sore all over and had no idea where he was.

Suddenly remembering what had happened, he realized his wings were still out and not only that, but they were completely healed! Trying his best to look down at himself, he realized that he was clean of wounds, his armor was shining, and even his hunger and thirst had been quenched. Before he could wonder about anything else, the metallic room he was in became covered in shadow.

"Welcome back, Meta Knight." Came a deep voice that rolled out of the darkness.

At the sound of the voice, Meta Knight began to struggle against his bounds. "Get away…!" He sputtered, but as he continued to struggle, he only succeeded in twisting himself at an odd angle to where he was practically choking himself. Gasping for breath, his eyes darted about the room, searching for the one who had spoken. He felt like a trapped animal.

"It's good to see you again too." The voice hissed. "No really, it's great to see you again. You have no idea how much I missed you…you were such a prized demon beast…"

"No more!" Meta Knight shouted. He felt darkness envelop him and his strength was suddenly drained away. He stopped moving and laid there, his eyes half-closed with exhaustion. A low laugh filled the empty room, but Meta Knight didn't have the strength to react.

"There, that's better. Now as I was saying, did you think you could shun your past for long? You knew that one day it would come back to haunt you. You knew that you would someday return to me, no matter how much you convinced yourself that you were a Star warrior. It's time to face the truth, Meta Knight. You are a demon beast. You belong to me. You belong to Nightmare."

Nightmare emerged from the darkness, his cloak billowing with shadows that seemed to be alive. Only his face seemed to be separated from the black. A cruel smile was plastered onto that face, and he eyed Meta Knight hungrily with a hunger that had been unsatisfied for many many years.

Floating forward, Nightmare towered over Meta Knight's small form.

"What are you going to do?" Meta Knight rasped, sounding extremely feeble.

Nightmare smiled evilly. "First, I'm going to take away those pesky little memories of yours. It's time we set you back to your rightful place…as a demon beast!" He reached a long, spindly finger forward and placed it on Meta Knight's forehead.

"No-!" Meta Knight started to shout, but he was cut off and a white flash filled the room. Meta Knight went limp and his eyes faded, dark and confused as if he were in some sort of trance. His memories were gone.

"Now for your soul…" Nightmare cackled, and reached forward. "Your soul, the one that took you away from me so long ago. But now, I shall take it away from you." Darkness began to cover Meta Knight like a blanket. As this happened, a shining golden orb arose from his body. Nightmare, beaming, went to touch it, but it suddenly gave of brilliant yellow sparks and he drew back away from the light, cursing. "No matter." He scowled, levitating the soul and placing it in a dark sphere of energy. "You will still not escape." He examined the soul inside the dark energy with relish, carefully balancing it on his hand so it would not harm him.

As soon as the memories and the soul were taken care of, he snapped his fingers and the bounds on Meta Knight disappeared. "Now…" He said in a deadly voice, "Arise, demon beast, and face your master."

Meta Knight stood up slowly and opened his blood red eyes to face Nightmare. His wings fanned out behind him, and he took out Galaxia, which now shone with a dark red hue.

Nightmare had recovered what was his at last.


	5. Guilty Remorse

**You can tell I hate Tokkori. Oh and the only good thing about the dub is that they actually made a better name for Chilidog and that would be Wolfwrath. So that's why I used that name in this chapter instead. Enjoy and review!**

Meta Knight dashed at the bear-like demon beast, brandishing his sword. The beast, bellowing, raked its claws through the air as it tried to attack. Nimbly dodging to one side, he prepared to strike, but the bear was surprisingly quick for its enormous size and swiped at him with a paw. Luckily, he was unscathed, but the blow sent him reeling and the monster flew at him, gnashing its teeth.

Meta Knight struck with his sword, hitting the bear in its most sensitive place—the nose. Howling in blind agony, it charged at him, but went barreling by. Turning on it, he managed to plunge the tip of his sword into the beast's back. It shook it off with an irritated grunt as if the blade had barely left a mark.

Trying yet again to stab a fatal blow, the knight barely made a mark in the coarse brown fur. This was not good. Meta Knight _knew _he had to defeat this demon beast _or else_. The bear stood back as if amused for a moment, letting him swipe at it uselessly. After a minute of these failed attempts, the demon grew bored and rose onto its hind legs, preparing to finish its small opponent off.

The beast was stupid, Meta Knight realized, exposing its bare belly like that. He flew at him as the bear stomped forward. Sliding in between the legs of the monster, he raised his sword high above his head and carved a neat red gash along the belly of the beast. The monster roared in pain and keeled over, disappearing within a few heartbeats.

Feeling triumphant, Meta Knight turned his bright red gaze to the stands surrounding him, searching for the one shape he knew well. He was in a large coliseum, filled to the brim with spectator demon beasts, watching eagerly as fight after fight took place. But Meta Knight didn't care about that…he only cared of his master's approval.

Spying Nightmare in his private box with a small assembly of his most trusted demon beasts by his side, he waited patiently for some sort of encouragement. The snarling and cheering beasts grew quiet and Nightmare spoke…

"You've grown weak."

Meta Knight's hand tightened on the hilt of his sword. Weak? He was not weak! His eyes glittered with a craving to prove that he was capable of being strong.

"But that can be fixed." Nightmare went on, "I have faith in you. You have not lost your cunning and for that you are one of the best demons here. Now fight another one." He snapped his fingers and another demon beast entered the ring, eyeing Meta Knight hungrily. Meta Knight turned, his wings spread neatly out behind him as he prepared to take on his next foe.

After all, he would do anything to please his master.

* * *

Kirby could not sleep that night, and no matter how much he tried he just simply couldn't cry himself to sleep. He could only lie there in his bed, bawling and wailing throughout the night. Finally, his roommate became fed up with him.

"Get out you noisy oversized marshmallow!" Tokkori snapped, shooting out of their bed. He flew at Kirby, pecking him with his large and annoying beak. "This is my house so if you're going to cry in it, I say you're out!"

"Poyo!" Kirby protested, as the bird chased him out of his home.

"You're still obsessing over that caped freak, aren't you?" The bird screeched in its irritating high-pitched voice, "Well let me tell you this…we're much better off without you than without him! He always thought he was so cool, but you're pathetic-ness just takes the cake!" Turning to go back inside the house, the bird somehow managed to slam the door and lock it without even touching it, leaving Kirby outside in the chilly night.

Tears shone in Kirby's eyes. There was no one to turn to. Tokkori had kicked him out of his own house and Fumu as well as Bun would never understand his concern for Meta Knight. Even Sword and Blade seemed to be quiet towards him as if it were his fault they had lost their lord.

_Was it his fault?_

This thought haunted Kirby. If only he had been able to defeat the bird on his own. If only he had taken on Yamikage to give Meta Knight a chance of freedom. He gazed up at the sky, wondering whom he could turn to in this time of need. Meta Knight had always been there for him but now…

Yes. There was one.

Kirby turned and took off running for the castle.

* * *

Nightmare had been right.

As the battles wore on, Meta Knight could feel himself becoming stronger and stronger as the demon beasts he faced grew weaker and weaker.

Earlier on he had wondered why he had suddenly become weak. He tried to remember what happened to do this to him, but found him memory blank. It was then he decided not to bother himself with such things…the present was what mattered. Obeying his master's wishes was what mattered.

Yet, with each new battle he could feel himself changing. As each demon beast died he gained confidence along with a new feeling—bloodlust. He felt ecstatic to see the blood that spilled out over the dry ground in front of him. He forgot his silent questions and his empty past. Nightmare became pleased, knowing that as each brawl took place Meta Knight was losing himself and slowly turning himself over to Nightmare without even realizing it. "Now for the ultimate test!" He boomed.

From the dark tunnels leading outside of the stadium, two glowing sapphire eyes appeared. A large black wolf came striding elegantly yet dangerously into the presence of the spectators. The demon beasts howled with excitement, eager to see more fighting. The wolf gazed at them with a cold calmness. His expression was unreadable.

Upon seeing the dark wolf, something clicked within Meta Knight. Had he met this demon beast before? Then he spotted his master watching and he immediately forgot his foolish pondering and concentrated on his opponent. The wolf was jet black with a gray mane and razor sharp claws. A fiery tail whipped out behind it and a shining blue jewel rested upon its forehead. It opened its mouth, stretching it in a bored yawn. Meta Knight eyed the pointed teeth and the dark purple flames that licked along the back of its throat.

But it wasn't the teeth nor the claws or even the fire that worried the knight. What was really unsettling were those deep blue eyes. He shifted nervously from foot to foot. It just wasn't right. A demon beast always had red eyes, didn't they? If not red, then yellow or something else, but certainly not blue. Surely this wolf wasn't a demon beast if it didn't have the red eyes that came so naturally to most all demons?

The thought angered Meta Knight beyond belief and he suddenly felt a harsh longing to stab the life from those eyes. Nightmare seemed to realize this and smiled from his box. Meta Knight's reaction was perfect to him. He didn't even seem to realize that this was a reincarnation of Wolfwrath.

The winged swordsman glided forward, raising his sword into the air. The wolf galloped forward, releasing a sharp hissing that sounded more cat than dog. Meta Knight swung Galaxia forward, but it bounced harmlessly off of the shining jewel. Standing on its hind legs, the canine lashed out with its gargantuan claws. The warrior barely managed to block himself from getting sliced in half.

Without warning, his foe sprang back and belched forth a large fireball. Meta Knight rolled to the side, but felt the flames singe his cape. A flicker of doubt formed inside of him and he began to concentrate on avoiding the attacks rather than making them.

The spectator demons grew restless and began to surge forward with apprehension, as if they were ready to take to the battlefield and join the fray. Nightmare scoffed from his box, waiting for the battle to end. Meta Knight began to feel weak and knew he was going to lose. Why was this wolf so much harder than the others?

Barely managing to dodge a fireball, Meta Knight stopped to catch his breath. It was then he heard the sinister voice of his master echo throughout his head,

_How weak._

* * *

Dedede woke with a start to a small scratching from behind his door. Grumbling, he got up to open the door, half expecting to see Escargon standing there, up to no good. But when he opened the door, he saw no one.

"Hmm?" He groaned, rubbing his eyes, "Wazzat?" He looked all around. Only when he looked down did he see the poor puffball at his feet.

"Poyo." Kirby mewled, his eyes shining with tears.

Dedede's eyes flew open and he became wide-awake as guilt struck him like a fatal blow. He opened his mouth and stuttered at the sight before him. After a few moments of senseless blabbering, he was able to force out a choked, "K-K-Kirby!"

Kirby nodded sadly and inched closer to Dedede. The penguin knew exactly why he was here. "G-Get out of here. Do you know what time it is?" Dedede looked all around him, trying to avoid the heartbreaking puffball's gaze.

"Poyo!" Kirby repeated, but Dedede began to grow angry.

"No!" He snapped, "Leave me alone! I don't know what you're talking about!" He turned to slam the door behind him, but Kirby gave a sudden cry.

"Meda Nigh!"

Dedede stopped with his back to Kirby, his hand resting on the doorknob. He slowly turned his head back to face the puffball. "M…Meta Knight?" Dedede asked quietly.

"Me…Me-tah Nigh-tah." Kirby tried, working his mouth to form the right words.

Dedede sighed and crouched down so he was eyelevel with Kirby. Guilt had won him over. He couldn't resist the puffball that he loathed so much. Kirby seemed to realize this. His eyes were glowing with a brilliance the king had never seen before. "Help." Kirby said, determination flaming within his bright blue eyes.

Dedede nodded. "All right." He said slowly, unsurely, "I'll help you."

Kirby stepped forward and hugged Dedede around his neck, making the penguin feel embarrassed. Brushing the puffball off, he grabbed Kirby's stub of an arm and led him into his room. But Kirby didn't mind, for he was glad to have someone helping him. "We'll do that in the morning. Right now, we'll sleep in my room in case anything happens. Then we'll see if we can save your friend."

"Ow fwend." Kirby corrected him, blinking up at Dedede happily.

And for the first moment in his life, the king felt he could actually do something good.

* * *

_How weak. _

The two words echoed throughout Meta Knight's head and a sudden rage embraced him, fiercer than any anger he had ever felt before. He leaped into the air, his wings spreading out behind him, and he drew his sword back. It glowed a dark crimson for a moment. Then he swung it forward with an unmatched ferocity. A black beam separated from his sword and went shooting out towards Wolfwrath. The wolf dodged, but was a fraction too slow. The attack pierced its foot and the canine howled with pain.

Blood spilled onto the ground. Meta Knight sprang forward; preparing to end it, when Nightmare bellowed from the stands, "Stop!"

Everything froze.

"What was that? That was a beautiful attack!" The villain had not felt this excited for a while. "I've never seen such a display of skill…I want to see it again! Show me how-!" He cut off with a sharp gasp. There was a long moment of silence as if Nightmare had just realized something that no other in the stadium had.

"Delay the rest of the battles." Nightmare declared, narrowing his eyes and smiling evilly, "It's time to see if you can take on Kirby of the Stars."

* * *

**Oh no! Meta Knight's going back to get Kirby! Another cliffhanger. Sorry…:P**


	6. Loyalty

It was in the middle of the night.

No one was there in the throne room to see the demon transporter appear and flash three times as different shapes emerged from it.

A red-eyed ninja stepped out from it, looking warily around the room. A swordsman followed him along with a large black wolf.

"No one's here." Yamikage stepped forward and began to creep along the floor with Meta Knight close behind him. Both were excited at the aspect of battle. After all the fighting, Nightmare had healed their wounds and freshened them up for their mission. Wolfwrath had not been so lucky, for Nightmare had ignored the demon beast while he fixed up Meta Knight. The wolf limped after the two, glaring at Meta Knight's back, his eyes glowing with jealousy.

"Let's split up." Yamikage demanded, eyes darting left to right. He pointed to Meta Knight, "We're going to go through town and search for Kirby. Then we'll head for his house. Wolfwrath, you stay here in the castle and stay hidden."

Wolfwrath acknowledged this with a flick of an ear. Yamikage looked at Meta Knight, eyes glittering with respect. "I'll stay at the village and you can be the one to take him out." Meta Knight nodded, eyes flashing red in the gloom.

With that, the two demons took off out of the room, the door barely making a sound as it closed behind them. Wolfwrath sat back on his haunches, and licked his still-bleeding paw. A growl rumbled deep in the back of his throat as he thought about the knight that had robbed his master's attention.

Meanwhile, Yamikage and Meta Knight had easily gotten past the sleepy guards without being spotted and were headed straight for the small town. Both took to different sides of the street and began to break into the houses, sabotaging everything in sight, checking every nook and cranny for the Star Warrior.

It wasn't long before screams filled the village and the citizens were racing about, trying to get away from them. Soon, every person was on the main street. Meta Knight leaped to the top of one house and stood there, wings spread, silhouetted by the moonlight. Everyone looked up at him and gasped.

Yamikage leaped into the crowd, scattering them. "Tell us where Kirby is and we won't harm you." He said in his smooth deep voice.

"I knew Meta Knight was a monster!" A little girl squeaked.

Meta Knight didn't flinch at the sound of his name, but Yamikage brought out his sword, shot forward, and held it at the girl's throat. Her mother screamed and the girl cowered in fear. "Do you know who Kirby is?" He said in a dangerous voice.

She swallowed and nodded nervously.

"Do you want to know what Meta Knight is going to do to Kirby…?" He continued, but her mother yelled for him to stop.

"Kirby lives in the dome-shaped house on the hill! It's by the big tree!" The woman gave in with tears sliding down her face. Yamikage shoved the daughter roughly towards her mother and looked up at his partner who was still on the roof of a house.

"Well?" He hissed, "You heard her."

Meta Knight spread his wings and took off, headed in the direction given. Yamikage rounded everyone up in the streets and they stood in a tight circle, eyes wide and scared. "Don't make any smart moves to alarm Kirby or call in backup." He threatened, "Or I'll slaughter you and your precious children."

* * *

On silent wings, the knight glided to the house on the hill. He landed neatly in front of the door and kicked it down in one swift movement. There was a loud squawk of surprise and a yellow bird shot out of the small bed inside the house. Something told Meta Knight that this wasn't Kirby. As his eyes searched the house, rage welled up inside of him when he realized that the puffball was not there.

"You!" Tokkori gasped.

Meta Knight came forward and grabbed Tokkori's feathered throat. When he spoke, his voice was low and quiet from lack of use. "Where…is…Kirby?" Meta Knight rasped into Tokkori's ear.

"Get outta my house you freak!" The bird choked out, struggling wildly against Meta Knight's grip. "He headed towards the castle! He's probably with that Fumu girl by now…!" He broke into a fit of coughing. "There, I told you! Now go kill him and do what you have to do to get away from me!"

"I cannot trust that you won't tell Kirby I am coming." Meta Knight said smoothly.

"What?!" Tokkori squawked.

Meta Knight raised his sword and brought it down on the bird's throat. Tokkori stopped moving and dropped to the floor, scarlet blood staining his bright yellow feathers. His beak was opened in a wordless screech, never again to make a sound. Meta Knight stepped out of the bloodstained house and took off into the night once more.

* * *

Fumu awoke to a loud banging noise on her door. A moment later, it exploded off of its hinges and crashed to the floor. She screamed at the sight of Meta Knight and Yamikage standing in her room, their crimson eyes lighting up the area.

"He's not here." Yamikage growled, looking around, and then turning on her. "You wouldn't happen to know anything would you?"

"If you're looking for Kirby, I'll never let you touch him!" She said bravely, and then looked at Meta Knight. "And how could you do this? We trusted you! Now you betrayed us and you're…evil!" Tears formed in her eyes and her voice grew hoarse.

Meta Knight stared, unblinking, back at her. "You speak nonsense. I have never encountered you before in my life." He replied, "Now tell us where Kirby is."

Fumu gasped. Bun ran into the room along with their parents. "Get away from my sister!" He screamed. "Someone, help! Help!" Yamikage and Meta Knight backed up, unsure of whom to attack first.

"Forget them, let's go." Yamikage disappeared with his quick ninja skills. Meta Knight ran towards the door and left, without even glancing back. Fumu and Bun hugged their parents and cried. Both felt desperately scared and wondered what had happened to the gentle knight they had once known so well.

* * *

As the two demon beasts shot along the dark corridor, neither suspected that the children's cries had brought the only two remaining knights out of their slumber. Now the two knights ran through the halls, pursuing an unknown enemy, about to face one of the hardest battles in their life.

"Poyo?" Kirby mewled, pawing at Dedede's large door in question.

Dedede sat up in his bed, eyes wide and scared. He clutched the covers shaking. "That was those kids screaming! W-What do you think is going on?"

"Poyo!" Kirby called to Dedede to open the door. "Poyo!"

The demons in the hall stopped at the faint cries on the other side of a nearby door. Yamikage's eyes shone briefly with excitement. "It's him." He told Meta Knight and signaled to the large door. He reached forward and placed his hand on it.

"It's too big to knock down." Yamikage told his partner, "But I have a better idea. Just call out Kirby to him and I promise it will open."

Meta Knight looked at him questionably.

"Just do it." Yamikage snapped, growing excited.

Eager to fulfill duty, Meta Knight didn't think twice about what he was doing. "Kirby…?" He said softly, leaning towards the door.

"Poyo?" Kirby squealed, recognizing Meta Knight's voice, "Poyo!"

"Kirby, don't!" Dedede shouted, cowering in his bed, "I think it might be a-!"

The door swung open and Meta Knight burst in, his wings spread and his sword shining in the moonlight. Kirby squeaked in fear, knowing at once that something was wrong. Meta Knight came forward, raising his sword high into the air, but Kirby was too stunned to move. The knight was about to bring it down when two figures tackled him from behind.

"Sir! What are you doing?!"

The three swordsmen collapsed in a heap on the ground. Kirby turned and scrambled away, towards Dedede, who was hiding in the corner. Meta Knight tried to chase after him, but Sword and Blade held on to him tightly and dragged him back to the ground. Meta Knight swiped at them with his sword, his eyes fixed on Kirby. As he struggled to get over to him, Kirby felt a chill creep up his back.

"My Lord!" Blade cried out, blocking with his sword, "It's us!"

"Don't hurt Kirby, sir!" Sword begged, trying to pin the frantic knight to the ground. "Trust me, you would never forgive yourself if you did!"

"He's…he's become a demon beast!" Dedede moaned, trembling. "Oh, Meta Knight…what have I done to you?!"

Meta Knight flapped his wings angrily, trying to brush his apprentices off of him and the two were surprised by his hidden strength. Yet, he had trained them well and they summoned all of their power to hang on.

"Kirby!" Blade screamed over the rush of air, "Kirby, run!"

Kirby raced out of the room, barely dodging an enraged Meta Knight and Yamikage. "You fool!" Yamikage shouted, voice filled with frustration, "Go after him! Nightmare's orders were for _you _to kill him! Now go!"

"We won't let you!" Blade yelled.

Meta Knight let out an uncharacteristic growl and turned towards Blade. In one neat slice, he carved a long gash down the swordsman's arm. Blade collapsed on the floor and Sword cried out. "Go get Kirby and I'll finish off these two…" Yamikage said, stepping towards the helpless Blade and lifting his sword into the air.

"No!" Sword shrieked, tackling Yamikage from behind. The ninja easily threw him off and faced him instead.

"Fine!" Yamikage bellowed, bringing the sword forward, "You die first!"

Sword closed his eyes and prepared to meet death, but the pain never came. He opened them to see Yamikage frozen in position above him. The ninja's eyes were unfocused, staring into the distance, and he still held his sword above his head. A moment later, he fell over onto Sword. The blade came down, barely missing its mark. Shaking, the knight pushed the demon beast off of him and looked to see Blade standing over him, his sword covered in crimson blood.

Blade gave a ragged sigh then lay down on the floor. Sword rushed to his side, shrieking, "Blade!" and tried to help him up. Blade didn't move. "Stay with me Blade!" He begged, squeezing the wound with his gloves to stop the flow of blood. Holding back tears, Sword looked at the fallen demon beast. A pool of blood was forming. Yamikage was still, his arms hanging limply at his side, his sword still clutched in his hand…

Sword heard a sharp intake of breath from behind him. He turned to see Meta Knight standing there. He had not left to pursue Kirby, but had stayed and watched the events unfold. The demon's shocked expression hardened and the vengeful look he was giving the knight frightened him. But instead of attacking, the demon knight turned and glided away down the hall in the opposite direction of where Kirby had gone.

Blade gave a small twitch and his hands tightened around Sword's arms. Sword looked down at his partner, relieved that he was okay.

The apprentices held each other for a moment, quivering with fear. As the flapping of wings faded into the distance, both broke out into agonized sobs and held one another closely for comfort. Their lord had become a demon beast, and they could do nothing to help him.

* * *

**Nooo! I'm so sorry I killed off Yamikage! Please don't flame cuz I like him too but there was no other way to progress the story and I couldn't just make him randomly disappear! I hope you still liked this chapter even though it didn't really go anywhere. The next chapter won't be that interesting either but I promise you it's going to get better from there on out! Keep reading and reviewing please and once again I'm sorry about killing off Yamikage. **;;


	7. Desire for Revenge

**Wow! Thanks for all the great reviews. Your all so nice and your comments are so interesting to read...I love them all. ;) But GRR the stupid document editor won't add in the lines. Now I can't portray when time is passing, so the lines have been replaced with ...'s. So without further delay, here is the next chapter of Shadow Wings!**

Meta Knight burst into the throne room and skidded to a halt in front of Wolfwrath. One look at the knight's face was enough to tell the wolf that the mission had gone all wrong. Unconcerned with the knight's well being, Wolfwrath turned his brilliant blue gaze towards the door, waiting for Yamikage to appear. When he didn't, Wolfwrath glanced at Meta Knight.

The knight's eyes betrayed what had happened to the fierce ninja. Anger welled up inside Wolfwrath, for he had respected the demon beast. He glowered at Meta Knight, as if blaming him for his fellow's death, but the knight was already in the transporter, waiting for his partner to climb in after him. The wolf stalked up, baring his teeth and stood beside Meta Knight. There was a flash and they were teleported back.

Barely ten seconds after they had gone, King Dedede came running in with a fleet of Waddle Dees behind him. Kirby ran in a moment later. His eyes were wide and worried.

"No good. They left." Dedede growled, turning to Kirby, "Don't worry, I'm going to get him back. Hide behind those pillars over there." Kirby nodded and let the Waddle Dees guide him behind the pillar so they could hide. The puffball tried not to shiver from the foreboding feeling in the room, and the Waddle Dees weren't helping by staring at him. He locked eyes with one and it tipped its head to one side in an adorable manner.

"Dwee~" It said very quietly.

Kirby smiled, taking comfort from this small gesture. Then the Star Warrior took a deep breath and waited for Dedede to take action. The king pressed a button on his chair and a screen came up, but the usual Customer Service wasn't there. Instead, the screen was blank. Dedede shouted for the strange man to appear but he didn't. Kirby stood behind the pillar, taking deep breaths. Finally, after many minutes of Dedede's frustrated calling, Customer Service appeared.

"Send me Meta Knight now. I'm ready for him to kill Kirby." Dedede lied, eyes burning into the man's face. Customer Service smirked and shrugged, as if he knew exactly what the king was up to.

"I apologize, your majesty, but I'm afraid I can't."

"And why not?!" King Dedede bellowed.

"We do not trust you with Meta Knight. Your role has ended…we have what we want."

The penguin opened his mouth to protest, but stopped and swallowed. "You used me to get Meta Knight? I want him back! S-Send him to me right now! I-I…"

"I'm sorry your majesty," He said once more, "but we will not be needing you any more." The screen went black. King Dedede gaped. He tried to get the strange man to come back, but his efforts were useless. Kirby ran out, eyes large and worried. He paused at the penguin's side, wondering what he was going to do.

"Poyo?" The puffball asked.

Dedede didn't answer and walked out of the room. Kirby's heart fell. Who would help him now? He sat down, wondering what he should do. He sat that way for a couple seconds until a rush of footsteps surprised him and he stood up. Dedede came hurrying into the room, his large hammer slung over his shoulder.

"Get up!" The king demanded, "We're going after him ourselves!"

...

Nightmare was enraged.

Not only had the mission failed, but one of his best demons had been killed in the process. Now as he faced the two survivors, he found that he had no one to direct his rage at. Seeing Meta Knight stand there was like a blessing. The knight reminded Nightmare so much of himself that he found he couldn't scold the demon. Instead, Nightmare turned to Wolfwrath.

Wolfwrath watched Nightmare grow angry, waiting for his master to strike down Meta Knight. He felt hopeful, wondering if Meta Knight would be killed as punishment for the failed assignment. Yet, when Nightmare did not bring his wrath unto the winged knight, the wolf's fur began to prickle uneasily. A sharp pain stabbed at his insides and he keeled over, howling and writhing.

Nightmare was pointing a glowing finger at the hound, his eyes cold and menacing as he took out his anger on the dog. Meta Knight turned and watched this procedure with mild surprise. For a long time, Dark Wolfwrath's cries pierced the night. It seemed hours later that Nightmare finally withdrew his finger and turned to Meta Knight.

"Come." He told the demon beast, as he melted away into the shadows, "You deserve to rest. Come to your room at the top of the north tower and when you are done recuperating, we must train with what little time we have left. They are coming…"

Meta Knight disappeared after his master without even a glance at Wolfwrath. The dog lay on the ground, panting. It looked down to see red scratches searing along his paws and legs. In some places, clumps of his black fur had been torn away. His master had shown no mercy, yet Wolfwrath didn't blame him.

His blue eyes watched Meta Knight disappear into the darkness, flaming with a deadly desire for revenge.

...

Meta Knight looked around him room, intrigued. A bed was stuck in one corner and weapons hung all over the wall. Some empty drawers lined half of the room. It was rather homely—he had a feeling that none of the other demon beasts got rooms like this.

Nightmare seemed pleased. He hovered inside the room for a moment, but disappeared as quickly as he had come, leaving Meta Knight to explore it himself.

Not quite sure what to do, the demon beast walked over to the bed and set his sword on it. For a moment he stared at it, then decided that he didn't like the emptiness that filled his hands and picked it back up. Next he crept over to the other weapons. He attempted to wield them, but it was soon clear that none of them were meant for him. He gave up and put everything back into place.

He sat on the bed, feeling too restless to sleep. He wanted to head back to the arena _now_ so he could grow stronger. Of course, Nightmare most likely wouldn't approve and want him to take a break. As he fiddled with his sword, he noticed something shining out of the corner of his dark red eye.

He got up and faced a mirror in the corner of the room, partially hidden by a row of spears that hung over it. Shuffling over to it, he stared at his reflection, mildly interested. He spread his wings and looked at them with approval.

Suddenly, the wings melted away, making him take a step back in shock. They were replaced with a deep blue cape that flowed around his feet. He blinked in shock, and it was then that he noticed his eyes had turned amber. He gasped at the intruder that had entered the mirror and tightened the grip on his sword.

The intruder noticed this movement and looked down at him, shaking his head in displeasure. "Look at what you've become." The intruder said in a voice that mirrored his own. Meta Knight was shocked. What was this thing? It was just a normal mirror so why was this strange other self of his inside of it?

"How can you do this to the people who care about you?" The yellow-eyed image questioned wisely.

"What are you…talking about?" Meta Knight rasped in his deadly demon beast voice.

The other knight's eyes saddened. He pitied him. Meta Knight grinded his fist into the mirror, scowling. "You know very well what I'm talking about." The image replied. "Shut up!" Meta Knight roared unexpectedly as a wave of anger overtook him. He brought back his sword and brought it smashing into the mirror. It shattered and the shards littered the floor. All signs of the yellow-eyed image were gone.

With a strangled cry, Meta Knight sat on the floor, his wings folded around him to remind him that he still had them. He covered his face with his bloodstained gloves, trying to block out the image of the other knight and that pitiful look that it had given him.

...

"You're leaving?"

"We want to come too!"

King Dedede turned to look at Sword and Blade, frowning with disapproval. Both swordsmen faced the king in determination, Blade leaning heavily on Sword. Waddle Dees raced to and fro, bandaging Blade where he stood, but the knight barely took any notice of them. Kirby looked back and forth between the two parties, his mouth hanging open in awe.

"You're crazy!" Dedede growled, "Meta Knight would tear you to pieces. Just look at your arm!"

"Oh, as if he wouldn't tear _you _to pieces?" Sword countered haughtily.

King Dedede scowled, "Look, I'm just going to help Kirby, all right? I got everyone into this mess so I figure I might as well…" He trailed off, as if afraid to admit that all of this had been his fault in the first place. "You're injured! How are you going to fight?" He said, changing the subject as he turned to Blade.

Blade trembled. "I don't know." He said hoarsely, "But anything for Sir Meta Knight! I would give my life for him to be free!"

"I'm your king and I say you can't come." Dedede went on, continuing the pointless argument. The other two shook their heads.

"We listen to Meta Knight more than you."

"Would _he _want you to come?" Dedede shouted, "Would he want you to put your young lives in danger for the sake of rescuing him?"

Sword and Blade exchanged a glance. Both knew that Meta Knight would most certainly not want them to risk their lives over him. "But…you won't make it without us!" Sword protested. Kirby stepped forward and placed a reassuring paw on both of their shoulders.

"Poyokay." He said with a confident smile, as if he were telling them that everything was going to be fine and that they would bring Meta Knight back without a problem. Both of them sighed.

"I suppose you're right." Blade said, his voice cracking, "What use would I be to our lord with my arm wrapped up like this? We're complete failures."

"That may be." Sword replied, "But then we shall stay here and guard the castle for him. After all, we are the only knights left." They nodded at Dedede. "Very well. Can we be of any assistance before you leave?"

"What? So you can waste more time?" Dedede growled, making the two knights flinch. "No thanks, we don't need your help. We'll be going. Come on Kirby!"

Kirby smiled at them, a silent thank you. Then he turned and raced to the transporter. For a few moments they stood inside it stupidly. Sword, Blade, and the Waddle Dees all watched them, waiting for them to leave. Dedede rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Oh yeah, would you mind pushing that button there for us…?"

...

"Another!" Nightmare demanded, sending another demon beast into the coliseum ring to fight Meta Knight. Almost as soon as the monster had stepped inside, Meta Knight had torn apart its body with his sword. Nightmare shouted for another to go inside, but Meta Knight was killing them like there was no tomorrow—and he was enjoying it.

Behind each demon beast he could see that other Meta Knight, its golden eyes taunting him. Each time he tore into it, only to have it replaced by the weak demon beast he was currently facing.

Nightmare watched with disinterest as another demon beast was killed, but his endless supply never wavered and the training kept on. Wolfwrath watched this from the shadows. He had made an effort to get his master to heal him, but Nightmare had refused him, too focused on Meta Knight to pay the wolf any attention.

Eventually, the demon had given up and retreated to the shadows to watch the battles. For a long time he lay there, eyeing the swordsman with fierce hatred. Growing sick of Meta Knight's endless wins, he turned and stalked out of the Nightmare's fortress, headed for a deserted battleground where he could forge a private, isolated place to harbor his revenge.

Nightmare was barely paying any attention by the time Kirby and Dedede arrived back inside his tower. At that moment, something clicked within him and he knew at once exactly who had arrived and how. He bore down upon the battlefield. Meta Knight paused in the middle of his fight, looking up at Nightmare questionably. His opponent went to attack him while he wasn't looking, but Nightmare disposed of it in one fell blow.

Meta Knight's eyes lit up. It was time to avenge Yamikage.

Then Nightmare swooped down onto Meta Knight and the two disappeared in a swirl of shadows. Everything went out of focus and the knight felt dizzy. Yet, he could feel the presence of his master beside him and that comforted him. He felt the breath of his master in his ear as Nightmare whispered ever so silently,

"They're here…"

...

**I'm very pleased with this chapter, especially the mirror scene. Everyone always writes about Meta Knight being haunted by his dark self and now look! It's the other way around…his old self is coming back to haunt him. This could be foreshadowing something, don't you think? **

**It's kind of obvious, though, what's gonna happen in the next chapter huh? There's gonna be some talking, a fight scene, and Meta Knight is either going to turn good or keep being bad. But let me tell you that this story is far from over! There's a lot more to come. So please review!  
**

**Oh and Kirby Superstar Ultra fans can freak about this but…Galactic Knight is going to be in a future chapter. :D**


	8. Stranded

**Sorry I haven't updated for a while! Thanks for being patient! In case you haven't already noticed I put up a poll on my profile. You can vote for your favorite demon beast…so obviously Meta Knight is winning. Wolfwrath still needs some love! Oh and sorry if there's any dumb errors in this chapter because I was so eager to get it up that I only read through it once! Plus I'm tired. Ha.**

**Oh well I'm done rambling. Enjoy the next chapter!**

The nausea Meta Knight felt at being teleported away immediately disappeared as he felt his feet set firmly on the ground underneath him. He opened his crimson eyes and locked them with Kirby's own sapphire ones.

Excitement flooded throughout him. It was as if he had been presented a gift! Silently thanking his master for this opportunity, he went to take a step forward, but then his body froze and wouldn't let him take another. Meta Knight wondered why his lord was holding him back, but knew better than to question the reason. After all, he was patient, and he could very well wait…

Nightmare smiled at the fear carved into the two arrival's eyes. He especially loved how Meta Knight was looking at them with such patience—as if he were planning on how to kill them that very moment. He didn't even seem to mind that Nightmare was holding him back.

It was good that his favorite demon beast had such patience. Nightmare loved to talk and he felt that he owed his…guests…a proper explanation.

His lips curling into a smirk, he said, "Welcome. I expect you're here to retrieve your friend? Ah, no need to answer, you know as well as I do why you're here. But I'm afraid to say that you've just made the worst-and last-mistake of your lives."

Dedede shuddered, but Kirby's eyes were fixed on Meta Knight. Meta Knight met his gaze. Meta Knight's eyes glowed ever so slightly. It was as if the two were trying to stare each other down.

"Give us Meta Knight or I'll…I'll stop giving you my services!" Dedede said in the bravest voice he could muster.

Nightmare laughed, "How amusing! You always _were_ a pathetic fool. Although I never believed you to be this incredibly stupid. Did you really think I would give you Meta Knight back so easily? He is going to kill Kirby for me. Isn't that what you wanted in the first place?"

Dedede frowned, casting a frightened glance at Kirby; he tore away his gaze from Meta Knight to look up at him curiously. "I changed my mind…" He said in a small voice.

"I see. Either way, it doesn't matter. Since you are here I might as well let him kill you too." Nightmare turned to look at Kirby, whose gaze had shifted from Dedede to the room they were in. His eyes passed over weapons and tables with long chains attached to them until they became fixed on Meta Knight's soul glowing in the corner. "It won't do you any good." Nightmare told him, as if reading his thoughts, "I was extra careful about his soul this time. I won't mess up like I did _last _time."

Kirby looked at Nightmare and tilted his head to one side curiously. Nightmare's eyes burned at the secret memory. He shook his head to clear it and continued on, "In fact, I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that he has a new soul growing inside of him as we speak. It is my own soul I have constructed for him and it will not be ridden of so easily. Say you somehow manage steal his old soul from over there." He flicked his thumb towards where the soul rested in its dark orb of energy. "Then say you actually try getting it back into him so he turns good again. I'm sorry to say that if you were thinking this, it will not work. My soul will leave Meta Knight if it is replaced and will attach itself to the one who removed it…like a parasite. It will slowly devour you from the inside out. It is a torturous method and you will wish you were dead…for when my soul is done, I shall have it returned to its respective owner, and once it is inside of him, I shall make sure to end the existence of Meta Knight's old soul…

"Permanently."

His lips curled into a snarl, revealing his pointed teeth. "So go ahead. Take it. I dare you."

Dedede swallowed and said in a shaking voice, "W-Why don't you just kill us right now? Get it over with…"

"I can't just do that." Nightmare said, "I am not just taking my revenge on Kirby here, but I am also taking revenge on my very own demon beast. If Meta Knight ever were to return to normal like he did so long ago, then he would not be able to live with the guilt that he destroyed Kirby. Don't you see? It is a perfect plan. But the more I talk about it, the more eager I grow to see it happen. I think it's time to put this plan into action.

Dedede recoiled with a gasp, but Kirby stayed where he was, his expression hardening.

"Meta Knight." Nightmare murmured, "I take my leave. Destroy these two on your own—I shall not be a distraction." Meta Knight looked up at his master in question, but Nightmare was already melting away into the shadows, his booming laugh echoing one last time around the dark room before silence overcame them all.

Meta Knight felt his bonds lift and he took another step towards Kirby. Now facing Meta Knight alone, fear hit Kirby at full force. He drew back, eyes wide. Dedede backed against the wall, his hammer held uncertainly in front of him.

"Kirby." He rasped, "We've got to get out of here. Quick!" He begged. Kirby's eyes switched back and forth between Meta Knight, the transporter, and the exit. He started to turn towards the transporter, but realized that it would do them no good to lead Meta Knight back to the village.

The puffball recognized that he also couldn't fight without a copy ability.

But did it even matter if he did have a copy ability? Would he be able to use it against his mentor?

Would he actually try to kill Meta Knight?

He didn't have much time to think, because Meta Knight suddenly threw himself at him, full force, his sword thrust out in front of him. Kirby felt his body freeze up and he stood there, unable to move. Kirby screamed, hoping that his cries would bring the old Meta Knight back, but even as he screamed, the demon beast kept coming. Closing his eyes, the little puffball prepared to feel the blade plunge through him.

Instead, there was a loud thud and sound of something hitting the ground hard. Kirby opened his eyes and Meta Knight was lying stunned on the ground, tangled in his wings. The puffball looked up at Dedede in surprise where the penguin was holding his hammer over his head. Even Dedede looked surprised at what he had done.

After a moment of recovering themselves, Dedede shouted, "Come on," but Meta Knight had other ideas for them. He flew at the Star Warrior, but Dedede grabbed and threw Kirby across the room out of harm's way. Kirby landed in the corner and looked up at the soul that hovered above him. Gripped by a sudden impulse, he leaped into the air and reached for the soul, bracing himself against the dark sphere of energy around it.

When he felt nothing, he blinked in astonishment. The dark fog surrounding the soul seemed to past right through him as if it were not meant for him. Maybe…it had been for Meta Knight? Or maybe it was a trap to see if they were foolish enough to try and give it back to him…

Either way, the puffball wrapped his paws around the soul and took it out of the fog. Subtle warmth spread through his arms and he gave a small smile at the shimmering soul. He clutched it to himself, promising he would keep it safe.

A harsh cry from King Dedede alerted Kirby that Meta Knight still had to be dealt with. Dedede had blocked him and now the knight and king were facing off.

"One more step and you can have another taste of hammer!" The penguin threatened, beginning to feel overconfident. Meta Knight raised his sword, eyes glittering at how simple it would be to slay this foolish bird. Then Kirby came running out of nowhere and smashed his large foot into the side of Meta Knight's head. The knight was thrown headfirst into a nearby table, and lay there for a moment as if unconscious.

"Poyo!" Kirby said, signaling to the door, and running outside.

Dedede nodded and went to follow, but something stopped him. Looking at the chains hanging off a table, he grabbed some and wound them around Meta Knight's wings and feet. Meta Knight suddenly came to life and swiped his sword at him. Dedede gasped and drew back, but the blade grazed his face and a thin gash was placed on his cheek. He stumbled back and Meta Knight went to follow, but the chains held him in place. Eyes blazing, he thrashed uselessly, trying to untangle his body and escape. Kirby and Dedede watched, eyes wide. Meta Knight paused, glaring at them furiously, a low hissing escaping from his mask.

Tears stung Kirby's eyes. He wanted to run to his teacher's side and free him, but his feet kept him rooted in place. Dedede turned away from the scene and snatched Kirby off the ground. Holding Kirby in one hand and holding his cheek with the other, he raced down the metallic halls, looking for an exit.

They strained their ears to hear some sign that they were being pursued, but none came. Luckily, the pair came across no demon beasts until they finally escaped from Nightmare's tower. There they encountered a few guard beasts that were easily dispatched by Dedede's hammer as well as Kirby's. After that, they kept running away from NME, heading along whatever safe route they could find.

Finally, the two stopped to catch their breath in a deserted battlefield alongside a looming cliff with a maze of rocks set around it. Kirby looked around fearfully. The sky was dark and clouded with a few red stars shining in the permanent night. Nightmare's headquarters stood ominously in the distance, the weapon-strewn battlefield laid out before it, stretching into the distance on either side of them. Shattered swords and splintered shields lay lifelessly all along the dry, dusty earth. The absence of life made the poor puffball shiver.

His eyes turned to the cliff and he let his vision wander along the sheer rock wall, looking for some sort of cave they could spend the night in. He found none, but spotted a couple strange looking rocks that formed an arch, providing a makeshift cave against the cliff. Reaching up and grasping Dedede's hand for comfort, he led him to the rock formation.

At the base of the rock, he yawned and curled up, closing his eyes, clutching the soul to his body. King Dedede looked around distastefully, his beak trembling. "You expect me to sleep here? A king?!" He burst out, "This is completely unheard of! Can't you at least make a fire? Become Fire Kirby or something!"

Kirby sat up, shaking his head sadly.

Dedede suddenly started moaning, "I can't believe I actually decided to come with you! We could have stayed and we could be safe right now back in my castle! But here we are, hopelessly stranded! Oh, why did I agree to this? I don't even know Meta Knight that well…he's going to kill us! I'm going to die." He sat down on the dry ground, wrapping his arms around himself and rocking back and forth.

Kirby crawled over and gave him a reassuring pat. Dedede looked at Kirby, his eyes huge. Kirby wanted to tell him that it was going to be all right and at least Dedede was doing the right thing, but all the tiny puffball could manage was a soothing, "Poyokay."

Yet it was enough.

The penguin lay down on the ground and sighed, trying to ignore how uncomfortable the hard earth was. Kirby climbed on top of him and curled up, letting out a content sigh before he fell asleep.

Dedede observed Kirby with doubtful eyes. How could the little Star Warrior be so carefree? Didn't he know that he was going to die as well? Sudden annoyance gripping him, Dedede rolled over with a snort, knocking Kirby off. Kirby tumbled onto the ground, looking startled.

"If _I _have to be uncomfortable while I sleep, then so do you." Dedede snorted with a flash of his old hostile spirit. Kirby just grinned and soon, both had managed to fall asleep.

* * *

After a long time of struggling futilely, Meta Knight had finally given up against the chains and hung there uselessly. It wasn't long before Nightmare came back, already seeming to know what had happened.

Meta Knight flinched within the chains, expecting to feel his master's displeasure, but Nightmare snapped his fingers and the chains disappeared. Meta Knight caught himself before hitting the floor and stood to face Nightmare, his eyes cast down shamefully. Nightmare merely smiled and snapped his fingers again.

Meta Knight immediately straightened up, a whole new level of strength surging through him. His sword glowed in his hands and his eyes brightened at the uncontained power within himself. A low laugh escaped Nightmare's lips as if someone had just uttered a hilarious joke.

Meta Knight paused abruptly, rearing to go, but suddenly unsure if his master would simply let him do so. Nightmare seemed to be able to tell what the demon beast was thinking. He swept his arms behind him and Meta Knight filled with excitement, shooting through the door on his way to find his escaped prey. Nightmare snickered at the nervousness turning so quickly to enthusiasm.

"Do not despair, my demon beast." He cackled, as if the whole thing were a game, "This only makes it _more_ interesting!"


	9. Galactic Knight

**Wow, the chapters are getting longer! And finally, Galactic Knight is here for his…um 4-page appearance. Well, this is a really good chapter so tell me what you think! **

King Dedede had barely slept a wink when a throbbing in his face woke him up. He expected to wake up in his bed, the past events barely a dream, but then reality hit him like a blow. He felt his cheek. The gash had dried and closed up, but he couldn't help feel a twinge of regret that his cherished face now had an ugly scar. Yawning, he reached up to rub his eyes and looked down at the puffball sleeping on the ground.

"Poyo…" Kirby muttered in his sleep. It was then that Dedede noticed that the Star Warrior was clutching something shining and golden. He shook Kirby awake, curious to find out what it was.

"Hey Kirby, is that the soul?" He questioned.

Kirby sat up, blinking sleep from his eyes, and took a moment to comprehend the question. Then he shook his head once before flopping onto his back. Dedede growled and shook him some more until he was fully awake.

"Poyo!" Kirby said huffily, eyeing Dedede disapprovingly.

"Have you forgotten why we're here?" The king demanded, "Stop being lazy and tell me if that's really Meta Knight's soul or not!" Kirby nodded proudly, but Dedede's reaction was not what he expected. "You idiot!" He shouted angrily, "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Did you not hear a word that freaky Nightmare guy said? You really are an idiot!" He stopped shouting and kicked at the ground, grumbling to himself.

Kirby looked down at the soul doubtfully, eyes watering. He wasn't an idiot. He had heard everything that Nightmare said and he wasn't going to get himself killed. He knew he could make Meta Knight remember him—somehow. Maybe then the evil soul would disappear and they could return the golden one. Kirby sighed longingly. His stomach moaned with hunger and he thought that it would cave in and start eating itself. Dedede didn't look too happy either.

Eventually the king stopped his complaining and they sat in silence, thinking about what to do next. It wasn't long before they heard them.

Wing beats.

And they were approaching fast.

"We gotta get outta here!" King Dedede gasped, grabbing Kirby, but they barely had time to move when the rock they were sheltering by exploded. Stones rained down around them. There stood Meta Knight, looking as thrilled as a hunter that had finally found his prey. "Run Kirby!!" Dedede screamed, turning to run into the rock maze behind them.

Kirby followed, his large feet carrying him as fast as he could go. But Meta Knight flew around them so fast he was a large blur. He stood perpendicular to them, looking ecstatic. He raised Galaxia high into the air and a black sword beam shot from it, carving into the ground. A large tremor shook the earth and the beam cut a fissure between the cliff and the side Kirby stood on. They stopped in front of the large slice in the ground, peering down into the deep darkness. The endless fall waited in front of them and rocks blocked escape on either side. Meta Knight glided behind them, looking faintly smug. Now they were trapped.

"We're gonna have to jump." Dedede whimpered, but Kirby had other ideas. Kirby stepped forward, ignoring the cry of warning from his friend. Meta Knight observed the Star Warrior with interest as he held up the shining golden soul in front of his face.

Meta Knight's fixed his gaze on the soul and his eyes flickered briefly to yellow.

King Dedede gasped.

Kirby held the shimmering soul up higher and watched as the two colors fought for control over Meta Knight's eyes. Meta Knight went to raise his sword, but his arm was shaking and he couldn't bring it down. A frustrated snarl ripped from his mask as he tried to push past the soul's influence to attack Kirby.

Just as it seemed the yellow eyes had won over the red, a ferocious hissing filled the air from above. The knight tore his gaze away from his soul and his eyes returned to red as all of them looked up.

Dark Wolfwrath was bounding down the side of the cliff. When he came to the edge, he jumped, claws outstretched, teeth bared at Meta Knight. The knight leaped backwards and King Dedede pulled Kirby out of the way just in time as the wolf landed in between them. He snapped at Meta Knight, his eyes burning blue flames. His foot was still injured and scratches were gouged deep into his skin, where the fur had been torn away.

Meta Knight flapped his wings, trying to fly over Wolfwrath to reach Kirby, but the hound sailed through the air, knocking Meta Knight down with his huge paws. Once again, Meta Knight tried to get past him, but Wolfwrath blocked him and spit a purple fireball at him, which he barely managed to dodge. Finally giving up on Kirby, Meta Knight turned to fight Wolfwrath.

"Let's go." Dedede murmured, slipping past the battle with Kirby in his arms. The two escaped into the rock maze, unnoticed.

Meanwhile, Wolfwrath had attempted to pin Meta Knight to the ground, but the winged demon stabbed at the wolf's wounded paw. Wolfwrath howled with pain and charged at Meta Knight, head butting him into the rocks. He grabbed one of Meta Knight's fragile wings in his teeth and proceeded to crush it, but the knight scoured the inside of his mouth with the tip of his wing. Wolfwrath let go, his bleeding tongue turning his mouth red. Howling and screeching with fury, Wolfwrath lunged again, but Meta Knight drew back and the two circled each other carefully.

Wolfwrath's tail swished back and forth with impatience and his hackles were raised. He galloped forward, but Meta Knight slid between his feet, raising his sword to try and slice open his belly, but he missed and hit the hind legs instead.

However, just as he was making that move, he noticed that his prey had escaped. Red filled his vision as rage consumed him. Wolfwrath had turned, his jaws wide open to tear, but Meta Knight swung his sword through the air so viciously and so quickly that Wolfwrath was almost immediately on the ground, wailing with pain, his paws clutching his muzzle. Blood spurted out between his claws.

He rolled on the ground for a moment, horrible sounds ripping from his throat. Then he finally got up, his lips curling back over his bloodstained teeth. A long, red gash ran from his right ear, passed over his eye, down across his muzzle, and down his neck, disappearing in his dark gray mane. His ear was completely shredded and blood dripped down from above, blinding him. His jaws parted and he roared viciously. The he reared up, going for the kill, but Meta Knight jumped into the air and kicked him in the center of the head with a large, powerful foot.

Wolfwrath staggered, stepping back, nearing the edge of the crevice without realizing it. Another step, and the edge crumbled beneath him. He grabbed onto the ledge with his front paws, digging his claws into the ground. He scrabbled frantically, trying to heave himself up, but the rest of the ground crumbled from under him and he disappeared, snarling, into darkness, his blue eyes blazing with anger and fear.

* * *

"Thank goodness we got away." King Dedede sighed, holding tightly to Kirby as the little Star Warrior tried to struggle away.

"Gotta…hewp!" He cried out, waving his tiny stubs in the direction they had come from.

Dedede frowned. "I'm sure he'll be fine. Meanwhile, how about we…" He trailed off, staring straight ahead. Kirby looked up at him, blinking, and waved a paw in front of his face, but Dedede didn't respond. His beak was quivering with fear and Kirby turned to see what he was looking at.

Standing on a rock above them, a swordsman stared down at them with glowing pink eyes. He wore a mask similar to Meta Knight's, with two gold horns protruding from the top. In his right hand, he held a pink sword, in the other, a round shield. Spread out behind him was two elegant angel wings. They gazed at each other for a number of seconds before Kirby finally broke the silence.

"Poyo!" He squealed happily, trying to run up the rock to give this newcomer a hug. The strange masked puffball fluttered into the air and landed on a higher rock, out of Kirby's reach. Kirby stopped climbing and watched the flight with shining eyes. This strange swordsman reminded Kirby so much of Meta Knight and he felt the need to make friends as soon as possible.

But the swordsman gazed down at them coldly and Kirby hopped back down to stand next to Dedede, frowning a little bit.

"What's your name?" Dedede called bravely, although he was shaking.

The swordsman paused, his eyes thoughtful. "That is not important," He spoke in a very deep voice, "What is important is that I am a knight. A knight who travels the galaxy in search of becoming stronger. You may call me…Galactic Knight." He swiped his sword through the air once and pointed it at them, "Now the real question is who are you?"

"I don't see why we should tell him…" Dedede mumbled, then called out, "Are you a Star Warrior? I thought Meta Knight was the last one!"

Galactic Knight shook his head. "Tell me who you are. Although I am interested to know who this Meta Knight character was."

"Is." Kirby corrected.

Galactic's eyes shone briefly. "Ah." He murmured, "Forgive me."

"I'm King Dedede, grand ruler of Dreamland, and this is Kirby of the Stars, protector of our peaceful land." Dedede announced grandly with a flourish. His beak curled into a sneer, hoping he had impressed this stately knight.

Galactic Knight didn't seem to notice. "I see. If your land is so peaceful, then why are you here in this wasteland? It is full of monsters and neither of you seem like the fighter type." He noted.

"Hey! I can fight! Why else would I be lugging around this huge hammer? And didn't you hear me call Kirby a protector? I'll bet he could beat you in a battle!" Dedede growled, pulling his hammer out of nowhere and swinging it in the knight's direction. Kirby tugged on his long sleeve, shaking his head at the challenge. The puffball did not want to fight this knight that reminded him of his mentor, especially since there was no time to do so—they were in danger of standing around too long.

"Meda!" Kirby whispered urgently, but Dedede didn't seem to hear him. But Galactic Knight had. He looked at Kirby, curiosity lighting up his pink eyes, but he didn't say anything.

"Gawacti…know…Meda?" Kirby asked, slowly forming each word.

"No." Galactic Knight responded, "Is he a friend of yours? …Is he truly the knight that is said to hold Galaxia?"

Kirby nodded, looking at Dedede to help him explain. The penguin rolled his eyes and began to tell their story.

"He's one of my knights, as well as this little guy's mentor. Nightmare--the guy who sends out all those monsters--captured him and turned him into a demon beast. Long story short, we're here to get him back…even though Nightmare has assigned him to kill Kirby. Oh, and yes, his sword is called Galaxia."

Galactic Knight's eyes were wide. "Where is he now?" He asked.

Kirby pointed back towards the way they came. "A demon beast attacked. We escaped while he was fighting it. No doubt he'll be here soon to kill us." Dedede explained, shivering.

"What is that?" Galactic Knight signaled to the soul that Kirby held tightly.

"It's Meta Knight's soul. We want to try and get it back inside him, but if we do, then…" Dedede trailed off, his eyes lighting up with a sudden idea. "But we can't get close enough to do so." He finished abruptly. Kirby glanced up at him questioningly. His eyes were narrowed, waiting for Galactic Knight to say something.

"Your loyalty to your friend amazes me." Galactic Knight replied, "I have never known such bonds…I shall help you. But on one condition…I get Meta Knight's sword."

"Fine." Dedede agreed, making Kirby gasp, "Can you put the soul back inside of him?"

Galactic Knight nodded.

Kirby gasped as he realized what was happening. "Poyo! No!" He cried out, his eyes wide with terror. He knew what Dedede was doing! He was going to have Galactic Knight unknowingly sacrifice himself in order to save Meta Knight! Although Kirby would have given anything to have his mentor back, he at least wanted Galactic Knight to know what would happen when he put the soul back in its rightful place! "Poyo!" Kirby protested angrily.

"Shut up!" Dedede hissed, "I'm doing you a freaking favor!"

Galactic Knight alighted down in front of them, put down his shield, and held out his hand. "I promise to help. Please give me the soul."

Kirby shook his head frantically, trying to convey some sort of warning through his eyes, knowing he couldn't put their dire situation into words. Dedede reached over and tore it from his grasp. Kirby cried out a protest, but the penguin ignored him and handed it to Galactic Knight. As soon as it was in his hand, there was a blur of blue and Kirby was swept off his feet. He screamed.

Meta Knight had him clutched in one bloodstained glove, holding him out in front of him, his sword raised above his head. King Dedede gasped. Galactic Knight's eyes shone with excitement and he flew into the air to face Meta Knight. The demon beast paused, staring at Galactic Knight with shocked eyes as the other knight pointed his glowing sword at him. He held the soul in his other hand. Meta Knight gave an enraged hiss and took off across the barren landscape, his wings pressed tight against his back as he cut through the air. Kirby struggled to free himself, but Meta Knight's grip was too tight.

Galactic Knight pursued him, his flapping angel wings leaving a long trail of feathers behind him. Dedede tried his best to run after them. Just when he thought he was going to lose sight of them, Meta Knight made a sharp turn and was suddenly speeding back the way he came.

He and Galactic Knight hit head on. The clash of swords rang in the air and then they parted. Both turned around to meet once more, their wings carving arcs in the air. Another screeching of swords and they passed. Dedede paused beneath them, watching the two winged knights circle one another. As they gracefully moved through the air, it looked more like they were dancing than fighting.

Then Meta Knight charged forward, bringing Galaxia down on the pink sword. Galactic Knight struggled against the power of Galaxia and the two fought for control as their swords pushed against one another. Kirby whimpered in fear, trying to wriggle away from the swords.

Then, for a brief moment, Meta Knight's eyes flickered to the soul clutched in Galactic Knight's hand. The knight burst forth with hidden strength and Meta Knight was knocked back. Kirby flew from his grasp and fell, trying to suck in air desperately so he could puff himself up. Meta Knight shot after him, Galactic Knight close behind. Just before they hit the ground, Galactic Knight tackled his opponent and pinned him down.

"I'll be taking that sword now." Galactic Knight said, shoving the soul in between Meta Knight's eyes. The golden soul disappeared inside and the red eyes faded. Galactic Knight sighed in relief and reached for Galaxia. Suddenly, a red orb shot away from Meta Knight's body and latched onto his wing. With a startled cry he watched it sink into his body. Barely a second later, he was on the ground, writhing in agony.

"Poyo!" Kirby screamed, running over along with Dedede. Galactic Knight moaned painfully, his eyes seeing nothing as he rolled on the ground.

"Make it stop, make it stop…" He rasped in between his ragged breathing. With a moan he turned still, lying there silently as his chest heaved up and down, his hands twitching.

Suddenly, a movement from Meta Knight caught their attention and they were immediately sprinting to his side, yards away from where Galactic Knight was. They stood over him, looking down worriedly.

"Meta Knight?" King Dedede asked, reaching out a hand to nudge him.

Meta Knight groaned and sat up, looking around himself sleepily. His eyes were yellow! He was back! Kirby squealed in delight. Meta Knight snapped up with a startled gasp as he saw the two people standing in front of him and he scrambled back a few yards to where his sword was lying and picked it up.

Before they could wonder what was wrong, he pointed it at them, his eyes wide with confusion, as he demanded, "Who are you?!"


	10. The Lost Memory

**I guess that chapter ended on a bad note…sorry if it was confusing, but Galactic Knight isn't dead nor has he turned into a demon beast. :P As you will find out in this chapter, he has mysteriously disappeared.**

**Well I'm pleased to say I got an idea for a sequel! I know I'm crazy, I already have the idea but I haven't even finished this one. If I DO make a sequel, that is when you will find out was happened to Galactic Knight. Sorry for being evil. :D **

**I was eager to put this up! I hope there's not many typos I missed when I was rereading it. Only a couple chapters (I think three) before the story is over! Please make sure to review! Sorry if the ending is confusing. It will all be explained in the exciting finale of the next chapter! I'm so sad it's almost over...  
**

Kirby and Dedede exchanged a startled glance. For a moment, they thought Meta Knight meant Galactic Knight, but the winged warrior had mysteriously disappeared and their friend was obviously pointing his sword at them.

"What do you mean who are we? You're not usually the one to make jokes." Dedede growled, "How about a thank you?"

"Silence!" Meta Knight demanded, "Who are you? Where is this place? Who…who…" He swallowed, shaking with confusion as he stared at the pair before him with wide eyes.

"Poyo…" Kirby murmured, his heart plummeting at the sad reunion he was having with his mentor.

"Oh no." Dedede moaned, "Do you remember your name? Please say you know your name…do you know who you are?"

Meta Knight, still shaking, said nothing. With a loud groan, the king sat down, muttering about wasted efforts and how they should never had come. Kirby's eyes filled with tears and he gazed at Meta Knight sadly. The tears came even faster when he realized that if the old knight had remembered Kirby, he would have come to his side and comforted him by now. But the warrior just stood there, bewildered by what he was seeing.

"Nightmare took away his memories. The old Meta Knight gone for good." Dedede said angrily, "This was pointless. We failed. We're too late."

"Poyo." Kirby agreed, looking away sadly.

Suddenly, Dedede sat up with a jolt. His face was bright with a new idea. Hope had returned to him. "Maybe not." He whispered, "Maybe we can make him remember!"

Kirby looked at him in surprise, wondering what had brought on this mood swing. "Poyo poy!" He demanded to know.

"Remember when Escargon was infected by that demon beast and everyone forgot who he was?" King Dedede said very quickly, "Well, after that he did all this research on memory-loss. He would go on and on about it, even if I gave him a good thwacking. Still I think I remember some of the stuff he said." He looked at Meta Knight thoughtfully, "If a person loses their memory, you may be able to make them remember by showing them things from their past that will trigger a reaction."

"Name? Poyo?" Kirby guessed.

King Dedede nodded and Kirby opened his mouth to say it, but the penguin held up a hand. "Maybe you'd better let me do it. We don't want him thinking his name is Meda Nigh or anything babyish like that." He turned to the knight. "Hey Meta Knight!"

Meta Knight just stared at them.

"You know that's your name right? Meta Knight. I'm King Dedede and this is Kirby. Remember Kirby?"

"Poyo!" Kirby added confidently.

Still, the knight said nothing.

They were beginning to feel nervous. "Come on, you've got to remember!" Dedede spoke quickly, "You're Sir Meta Knight, you were a demon beast before you joined the Galaxy Soldier Army and became a Star War-!"

Meta Knight gasped and Kirby jumped up and down in happiness. But what he said next made them feel even worse.

"How did you know I was planning to become a Star Warrior? You must be demon beasts!" He rushed at them, sword raised. Thinking fast, Kirby inhaled Galaxia right out of his hands. The blade entered his mouth, but he didn't swallow, keeping it safely inside his mouth. Meta Knight stopped and glared at him with his piercing yellow gaze.

"Do with me as you may. I refuse to go back and serve Nightmare any longer."

"We're not demon beasts!" King Dedede burst out. Kirby agreed with a muffled poyo. "You've lost your memory Meta Knight. We're not in the time period you think we are! The Star Warrior Army is gone, and they have been for decades!"

Meta Knight froze with shock. "But I was just leaving…to join them…they…they were just here fighting the demon beasts yesterday! You can't fool me!" His eyes turned red with anger, making the other two flinch at the dreadful reminder.

"They all died." Dedede told him regretfully, "You were the only survivor."

Meta Knight's eyes returned to yellow and the two sighed in relief. "Dead?" He said in awe, eyes swimming with grief, "That can't be."

"I have an idea." Dedede said, interrupting Meta Knight's mourning, "How about you tell us what you can remember and we'll tell you everything that's happened up until now. Maybe then you'll know your place."

"You go first." Meta Knight grumbled.

"Who's the one with the hammer?" Dedede growled, swinging it in front of Meta Knight's face. "You're going first, buddy!"

Kirby tried to protest, but nearly choked on the sword. With a glower, Meta Knight plunged into everything that he remembered. "I have been working for Nightmare as long as I can remember. He always said I was his perfect demon beast." He stumbled over the word 'demon,' "He was training me for something big. Then it came…there was a battle I was in with those he called the Star Warriors. They were our enemies. Many died that day, demon and warrior alike. I think it was that day that something…changed…within me. I began to question my loyalty to Nightmare and, as the war went on, I began to plan an escape. I wanted to join the Star Warriors. Then I found a Warp Star hidden and figured that he must have taken from one of the dead…I was going to use it to escape, but…" He trailed off.

"That's all you remember." Dedede finished for him. "I see. I guess it's our turn."

Meta Knight held out his hand. "May I please have my sword back?"

Kirby nodded and spat it out. Galaxia clattered to the ground and laid there, Meta Knight staring at it. They waited for him to pick it up. Finally he took a deep breath and said, "A lot must have happened in my lost memories for me to be wielding the sacred sword Galaxia."

"Know Gala…?" Kirby questioned.

"Nightmare spoke of it often, but that doesn't matter. Tell me everything that has happened up to this point." He picked it up as if he were seeing it for the first time. Then he tucked it into its sheath without another word and waited for Dedede to start.

"Well…let's see…" The penguin said slowly, "I don't know much of your past, but you did manage to escape I suppose. Then you left to join the Star Warriors, but they all died and you were the only one who lived. After that…I guess that's when you decided to come work for me. A wise choice I might add." He puffed his chest out. Meta Knight looked doubtful at the thought of working for the greedy king. "Not long after you arrived and became my servant, Kirby decided to show up in his Warp Star. He's a Star Warrior too and you started…err…training him."

He paused awkwardly, leaving out everything about his demon purchases. Kirby urged him to go on, knowing they didn't have time to cover everything.

"Well, the trouble started when you saved Kirby from this one demon beast that had come to town, but all the villagers saw your bat wings and chased you out. Then this ninja came and captured you. Nightmare got ahold of you again and then took your soul as well as your memories. And all this time you've been trying to kill Kirby and we finally got your soul back inside you." King Dedede smiled.

Meta Knight's expression was unreadable beneath his mask. Kirby leaned forward, looking hopeful.

"Ring any bells?" Dedede said eagerly.

Meta Knight shook his head and the two sighed, disappointed. "At least things are making more sense now." The knight said, "I am going to go see Nightmare in an attempt to recover these memories."

"POYO!" Kirby shouted so loudly the other two were nearly knocked off their feet. He ran up to Meta Knight, grabbed his cape and buried his face in it. His eyes were swimming in tears. "No, Meda, no, poyo." He whimpered. Meta Knight looked at him awkwardly then gave him a hesitant pat on the head. Kirby beamed and wiped away the fat tears running down his face.

"I'll be fine." He told Kirby, but his eyes were blank and unsure. "Besides, there are no other options. Maybe Nightmare holds the key to getting my memories back. But if he doesn't…" His voice changed to a frightening growl, "Then I might as well take revenge for what I have lost."

"Galaxia won't be enough to finish him." Dedede sighed.

"Sta Wod." Kirby murmured.

"Then what reason is there left to live?" Meta Knight snapped suddenly, making the other two flinch, "The Star Warriors are dead, my memory is gone, Nightmare is in control…can you find a reason for me to not go in there right now and go out fighting like a true knight?"

Kirby and King Dedede exchanged a wide-eyed glance. "Well…what about…Kirby?" The king said slowly.

"Yes," Meta Knight hissed, "What _about_ Kirby? I don't even know who he is."

Kirby whimpered as Meta Knight turned and took off flying for Nightmare's fortress. King Dedede scooped Kirby off the ground and began running with him, ignoring the puffball's wails of dismay. "Shut up!" The penguin bellowed, "So he doesn't remember you, so what! He's going to remember you when I'm done with him! After all we've been through, there's no way I'm letting Meta Knight walk in there and let himself be killed!" Then he cursed so loudly, Kirby covered his ears. With that, they continued their desperate race against time.

* * *

Meta Knight flapped his wings, rage consuming every bone in his body. _This is what Nightmare would want…_ He told himself, fighting to keep his eyes from turning red, _He likes it when you're angry. _But thinking about Nightmare only made him angrier. He flew straight into the heart of the fortress with his eyes glazed red. Demon beast guards watched him and let him pass.

He knew that, most likely, those two strangers from before were following him. He didn't care. If they wanted to join him in dying, they might as well. He entered the door, glowering at the demon beasts as he refrained from killing them.

The metallic hallway was empty and dark. He knew where he was going. He only remembered the layout of everything important to him. He headed for the large staircase that led up to where Nightmare resided. He paused at the bottom, regarding his rash decision.

For a long while, he stood there. Then he gave a great sigh. "Where else would I belong if I didn't?" Then he began to ascend the stairs.

Dedede and Kirby then came bursting through the door. Kirby saw the edge of Meta Knight's cape disappear around the corner just at the last second. He was instantly sprinting after him, his little feet carrying him as fast as he could go. Dedede ran after him, struggling to keep up.

Higher and higher they went, Kirby and King Dedede barely managing to keep the warrior within their sight. Then the staircases ended. They came to a dark hallway. Kirby paused uncertainly, his eyes scanning the shadows for his mentor. At the end of the hallway was a door. It was slightly ajar. The pair approached it warily.

King Dedede looked down at the little puffball, his eyes scared. "Nightmare is probably in there. I-I don't want to…don't make me…" He swallowed a couple of times, summoning his courage. Then he took a deep breath and said, "You first."

Kirby nodded and stepped inside. As soon as he entered, the door slammed behind him. "Poyo!" Kirby screamed, turning around in shock as Dedede was locked out. The penguin was shouting curses from outside as he tried to get in.

"We've been waiting, Kirby." Came a deep voice that echoed all around him.

Kirby turned to look where the door had led. The room around him was swimming with shadows, but that wasn't the thing that was unnerving him. The walls, ceiling, and floor were mirrors. Everywhere he looked, his own frightened face was looking back at him. He went to back away, and heard a gasp from behind him. The door had turned into a mirror and Dedede was standing in it! His hands were pressed against it, as if he was trying to get through, but he was stuck on the other side.

"I figured my favorite customer would have liked to watch the demise of his nemesis. Don't you agree, Meta Knight?" The shadows suddenly came together and there was Nightmare, materialized in front of the mirrors. Meta Knight stood in front of him, his head bowed, his eyes a dull red.

"No!" Kirby screamed, thinking that Meta Knight was once more a demon beast. Dedede looked frightened on the other side of the mirror.

"Yes." Nightmare gave a booming laugh that filled the chamber, "I have been waiting for this moment too long…to wipe out the last Star Warrior! Goodbye Kirby of the Stars. Meta Knight, kill him!"

Meta Knight walked forward slowly, his eyes fixed on his prey. Kirby wanted to run, but fear kept him rooted in place. Meta Knight stood over him, his sword held above his head, glowing a brilliant gold…

Kirby's eyes widened.

Gold?

With a sudden roar, Meta Knight turned and launched himself at Nightmare, his sword cutting the air. The sword passed through Nightmare's body as if he wasn't even there. Eyes flashing red with rage, Meta Knight tried again and again to stab at Nightmare, but the sword merely passed right through him. Nightmare laughed the whole time and finally ended it by pointing a long finger at Meta Knight.

The knight's eyes returned to yellow and dimmed. He slumped to the ground with a defeated groan. Kirby rushed over to try and help him to his feet, but Meta Knight just sat there, the strength drained from him.

"I knew there was something off about you when you came back." Nightmare said coldly, "I must say I am impressed, Kirby. How did you manage to give him his soul back? Who was your sacrifice? Not that it matters." He smirked.

Kirby glared at him, and went to stand in front of Meta Knight protectively. Nightmare just cackled with amusement at the puffball's wasted bravery. Panting, Meta Knight looked up at Kirby and the grim determination set upon the young warrior's face. The face looked so familiar…

Suddenly, Meta Knight had the sensation he was looking into a mirror. There were mirrors all around him…but when he looked at this young Star Warrior he felt something burn within him. A hidden strength. His eyes gave a sudden glow and he forced himself to his feet. Nightmare stopped laughing and looked at Meta Knight in surprise. Meta Knight stumbled, and Kirby caught him, supporting him with his stubby arms.

"I'm fine." Meta Knight told him, brushing him off and putting Galaxia down. He stood up straighter without the support of his apprentice. "I now know what must be done."

Meta Knight reached up to unhook his mask. Everyone gasped, including Nightmare. Then, very slowly, he removed it from his face.

Kirby gasped in shock and delight. An identical face, similar to his own, was gazing back at him. The face was blue with bright yellow eyes and two cherry-red cheeks. Meta Knight looked like him! Uncontainable joy threatened to burst from every part of his body. He wanted to hug his mentor! All three of them watched Meta Knight as he looked at himself in the surrounding mirrors. Dozens of emotions flickered across his face. Then his eyes flooded with shining gold tears. Kirby gasped and ran to his side, wrapping his arms around his friend.

"I am so sorry for everything I have done, Kirby." Meta Knight whispered, tears running down his face, "All of this trouble I have caused...how could I be so careless...?"

"You remema!" Kirby cried out happily.

"Yes. I remember." Meta Knight said darkly, his yellow eyes flashing dangerously, "I remember everything. Everything...even from the time of my birth. Nightmare had taken that one small memory and changed my whole existence with it...but now I know that I have been lied to my whole life..." With one quick movement, he strapped his mask back onto his face and snatched his sword off the ground to point it at Nightmare, his whole body quivering with immense anger.

"I was never a demon beast!"


	11. It is Done

**Like many amazing climaxes, this chapter (THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER) includes a flashback, a long speech given by the enemy, and a death…or two…or three. In the flashback, the lizard and dragon are two bosses from Kirby Super Star Ultra. And I hope I got around to explaining everything in the long speech. Ask if you have any questions and…**

**PLEASE REVIEW! My life as well as the life of the last chapter depends on it! Oh and Lazlo gets a Meta Cookie for being the 100****th**** reviewer! But the rest of you can have Kirby Cookies for being awesome. Now read!**

_"Red alert! Red alert! Star Warrior scout approaching—I repeat, Star Warrior scout approaching!" A wide-eyed demon beast that resembled a large lizard was racing through the metallic halls of Nightmare's fortress, his face filled with terror._

_A great dragon standing in the halls galloped after him, ignoring the demon beasts that cried out in shock. "What is going on?" The dragon demanded. _

"_A Warp Star has been spotted on the horizon! It may be a scout. This could mean an incoming invasion!" The lizard's eyes rolled back into its head with fear. "We have to report this to the master right away!" _

_As if on cue, Nightmare materialized from the shadows in between the large dragon and lizard. "A Star Warrior you say?" Nightmare growled, "Show me!" As fast as they could, the trio burst outside and entered the dead wasteland outside of the stronghold. Other demon beasts followed, looking agitated. _

"_There!" The lizard yelped, pointing his long tail at a white speck in the distance. _

_The dragon lashed its tail thoughtfully. "Maybe it's just me, but is that Warp Star coming closer?" _

_Nightmare narrowed his eyes. "That is certainly strange…" He murmured. _

_And it was true._

_The white Warp Star was approaching the group at a fast speed. Better yet, it didn't seem to have any backup coming with it. Then Nightmare gave an unexpected chuckle. The demon beasts looked at their master in awe and wonder. He looked down at them, smirking. _

"_I do believe we have a newborn visitor."_

_A moment of silence followed his words. Then the demon beasts began to hoot, howl, and shriek with laughter. They jeered as the white Warp Star flew in close, coming in to land practically on their doorstep. "Shoot it down!" Nightmare commanded. The dragon took a deep breath and aimed a fireball at the hovercraft. _

_The Warp Star burst into flames and came hurtling out of the sky, landing right in front of Nightmare himself. A small blue ball tumbled out of the cockpit and landed facedown on the hard earth. The dragon flapped his wings, putting out the flames, then turned to watch his master deal with the baby Star Warrior. The demon beasts were practically jumping with joy now that there was no threat._

_Everyone stood back, waiting for the little blue ball to do something. It appeared to be dead…but then its stubby little arms gave a small jerk and everyone backed away slightly except for Nightmare. He moved forward and bent over the little puffball, which was still lying facedown. _

"_Hello Star Warrior." Nightmare hissed almost inaudibly._

_At the sound of his voice, the blue puffball very slowly raised his head and gazed back into the dreadful face above him. The baby's face was completely serious with round yellow eyes too intelligent for his current age. The demon beasts gasped._

"_What interesting eyes!" The lizard babbled, "And an adorable face at that! Don't you think so, master?" _

"_Yes…" Nightmare snarled, grabbing the puffball suddenly in one clawed hand. The puffball gave a startled yelp. "Absolutely…ADORABLE!"_

_With a sudden force, he tightened his grip on the puffball, squeezing it so hard that dark energy crackled off of it in the form of electricity. It shrieked soundlessly as dark energy flowed from Nightmare's hand into its body. Two black bat wings burst from the poor puffball's back, spurting blood as they appeared. Nightmare dug his nails into the Star Warrior gritting his teeth as the child continued its noiseless cry of pain, its yellow eyes squeezed tightly shut._

_After what seemed like hours, he finally let go of the puffball, letting it fall to the ground. It lay there in its tangle of newly made wings, blood running down its back and forming a pool under its still body. _

_Nightmare, his fury spent, turned and began to glide away. "Repair the Warp Star for need of future use. I'll be in my quarters." He said curtly, without looking back. _

"_Sir!" The dragon called after him, "What of the Star Warrior?"_

_Nightmare paused and turned his head, his eyes gleaming evilly. "Leave it there to die." He responded, and then disappeared in a swirl of shadows._

_

* * *

  
_

"How could you do that…?" Meta Knight's voice was choked with emotion. "I was a mere child…you left me there to suffer. You wouldn't even finish it. You just left me there to die…"

"Yes, and that was my mistake." Nightmare growled, "I underestimated your strength. Do you remember what happened after that? You laid there for three days in your own pool of blood, hanging onto life with strength unbeknownst to everyone. We were all waiting for the moment you would die. I forbade the demon beasts to touch you. I wanted to watch you draw your very last breath.

"Once again, that was my mistake. As I watched you lay there as some horrible mutation of a demon beast and a Star Warrior, you began to grow on me. I watched you fight off death for three long, hard days, admiring your power. It wasn't until the end of the third day that I made my decision to keep you as my own. Do you know what changed my mind?

"I could see the potential you had on that third night. You had been in the same position for the longest time, head buried into your little paws…but when I spoke to a fellow demon beast about what I should do with you, you suddenly raised your head. You actually _glared _at me through the mask of blood on your face. The blood that had stained your yellow eyes almost a pure scarlet. It was then that I knew I had to complete your transformation. I had to make you mine once and for all.

"I took you in, healed you, and started to train you. I made sure you had no memory of ever being born as a Star Warrior. Instead, I shaped the illusion that I had created you with my very own hands. My plan worked perfectly…until a point.

"The Star Warriors held an invasion hundreds of years after your birth, right outside of this very fortress. By then you were a fully-fledged demon beast…I had complete faith in you. You fought in the battle. Many demon beasts died bravely that day, but we were able to drive the Star Warriors away. When you came back, something had changed about you. I was foolish and thought nothing of it.

"Then you began to go missing every so often. You stopped coming to train in the arena. No one had any idea that you had discovered the white Warp Star that was hidden away in the darkest of the dungeons. Thinking it must have been another Star Warrior's you stole it and left to join them, escaping in your very own cradle, even if you didn't know it at the time.

"After you left, I could not stop thinking about what I had done wrong. You had been the perfect demon beast, so I just had to wonder, why did you leave? Then I realized that I had done nothing to your soul, merely tainted it with evil. But after seeing so many warriors die on that battlefield, that soul was once again lit inside of you. It drove away the evil I had cast upon you and you began to go back to your Star Warrior ways. Finally, you left, headed for the Galaxy Soldier Army where you belonged. I thought I had lost you…

"That day when I saw you standing in King Dedede's throne room on the TV screen, everything changed. I knew that to kill my newfound enemy, Kirby of the Stars, I would need you. So I got you back…and in the events that followed, I thought I would be able to keep you forever, but I was wrong."

Nightmare's eyes suddenly sparkled dangerously. "Now, after all these years, I'm starting to have second thoughts. Maybe you weren't worth the trouble. Maybe I should just kill you both right here and right _now_."

"You can try." Kirby hissed, ferocity etched in every part of his face.

"Only a true Star Warrior can kill me!" Nightmare roared, shaking the room around them, "Kirby, you are too weak and you have no Star Rod! Meta Knight—you are barely a Star Warrior! You are more demon beast than anything else! But most of all, you are a complete _failure_. You are a monster—nothing more! There's nowhere you belong, nowhere you can go. You will be _relieved _to die once I kill you!"

Every part of Meta Knight's body was quivering with rage, yet he refused to let his eyes turn red. Brandishing his sword and stepping up to face Nightmare, he declared in a strong voice,

"Yes, that is what I once believed when I had not a single strand of hope. That is what I once believed when I thought I was a demon beast, created by the evil Nightmare, alive to only perform evil. Yet now I realize that I have been lied to my whole life. Although I may have shadow wings, I know for certain that this does not mean I am a demon beast, for what is on the outside does not matter. It is what is on the inside that determines who you are. I never knew this until now. I was always living in fear, living in a shadow, a shadow cast by my wings. But now I know better. I know exactly who and what I am.

"I am a true Star Warrior!"

He raised Galaxia high above his head and the sword suddenly shone white, glowing with a never before seen power…the power of a Star Warrior. Two black wings burst from his back and he flew into the air, his sword aimed at Nightmare's chest.

There was no time to react.

The sword sliced right into his cloak, and it ripped apart. Nightmare shrieked as his real body was revealed, a swirling mass of stars, planets and galaxies that he had taken over for himself. A harsh wind blew out from them, making his cloak flap wildly. Dark energy swirled through the air, cracking the mirrors around them. Dedede broke through his and ran to Kirby to shield him from the evil energy.

But Meta Knight did not let go. He stuck his sword further into the strange body, and a light began to flood into it. Nightmare screamed in agony as his face and body began to dissolve. Then, over the harsh wind, a loud screech filled the room.

"If I can't have you…no one can!"

Then, from within the starry body, a beam of darkness shot through and hit Meta Knight directly on. His mask splintered and his eyes flashed white with shock. For a moment, the Star Warrior stayed suspended in the air, his shining sword still gouged deeply inside of his previous master.

With a final groan, Nightmare gave into the light. It covered him and he slowly disappeared into the air…finally gone for good. As the light of Galaxia washed the last of the shadows away, Meta Knight shuddered and his wings gave out. He slumped to the floor, his eyes flickering weakly.

"Meda!" Kirby cried out, running to his side and trying to hoist him to his feet, but the knight was too weak to stand. His mask was cracked in several places and his wings were bent at odd angles. Kirby could see the scars that ran along his back, the scars that had changed his life.

Suddenly, the ground under them started shaking. The cracked mirrors began to shatter. They could feel the walls coming down around them…then it dawned on them.

"The fortress is collapsing now that Nightmare is dead!" King Dedede gasped, "Quick, we have to get to the transporter! It's not too far from here!" He scooped Kirby and Meta Knight into his arms and crashed through the glass, sprinting down the dark stairway. With each step they passed, it crumbled away and fell into nothingness.

Dedede was screaming in fear as he tried to stay ahead of the collapsing stairs and walls. Kirby, huddled against Dedede's chest, was trying to wake Meta Knight up with desperate cries, but the knight seemed to be losing consciousness. Finally they reached the room with the transporter.

"There-!" Dedede started to shout, but a chunk of ceiling suddenly caved in between them and the transporter. A dark shape came hurtling through the hole it left and a fierce roaring filled the room. There was Wolfwrath, standing among the wreckage, looking so fierce and beaten he was barely recognizable. The jewel on his forehead was split; his mane was ragged and crusted with blood. Even the spikes on his back were fractured beyond repair. His eyes gleamed with intense anger, nearly on the brink of insanity.

Without hesitation, the wolf charged forward, swiping his claws through the air and snarling viciously. Dedede tried to dodge, but one claw caught Meta Knight's wing and he flew from the king's grasp.

"Poyo!" Kirby cried out, leaping away from Dedede to rush to his mentor. Wolfwrath, hissing with excitement, bolted towards the still form of Meta Knight on the ground. Kirby leaped into the air, landed on Wolfwrath's head, and grabbed his shredded ears. Then he pulled back _hard_. Wolfwrath shrieked and bucked, struggling to throw Kirby off. However, the little puffball couldn't hold on for long and was thrown off, luckily in the direction of Meta Knight.

Wolfwrath blasted a large fireball at them, missed, and the room burst into flames. Dedede stayed in the transporter, shouting for the other two to hurry and join him, for the room was collapsing all around them.

Despite the flames that licked at him, Kirby grabbed Meta Knight and hauled him as fast as he could to the transporter. With a roar of anger, the demon beast raced forward to finish them, but a loud rumbling filled the room and a rain of rocks and ceiling poured down from above. Kirby dived into the transporter just in time as a rock landed on the controls. The dust cleared and Wolfwrath was struggling on the floor, his hind leg caught underneath the debris.

Then he looked up at the transporter.

It was empty.

Howling with fury, he scrabbled frantically at the ground, trying to free himself and pursue the Star Warrior that had ruined his life. Another rumbling sound caught his attention and he looked up, blue eyes widening with fear. He writhed on the ground desperately, but it wasn't enough to save him from the falling rock that came down and ended his life for good.

* * *

"Meda wake up, we back, we safe." Kirby murmured, lying on the floor of the throne room, his burnt paws wrapped around Meta Knight. "We okay now. Pwease wake up." His eyes were shining with tears, but Meta Knight did not respond.

Dedede was looking away from the sorrowful scene in front of him. "I'll go get Escargon..." He mumbled, keeping his eyes down, "We need to treat those burns..." Then he hurried from the room, closing the doors shut behind him. Silence filled the room.

With a sob, Kirby pressed his face into Meta Knight's mask, trying to stifle his tears. Underneath, he could hear the faint beat of Meta Knight's heart. His eyes flickered every so often, dimmer than ever. Galaxia, still shining white in his hand, was beginning to fade. The weak beat of his heart was slowing.

"Don't die, Meda." Kirby whispered, but it was too late.

The light of Galaxia died out. Meta Knight's heartbeat stuttered twice…then with one last dull thump, his heart faltered and went silent.


	12. Into the Future

**I can't believe this is the last chapter…it was so hard to write…by far; this was my most successful story. To everyone who read it and everyone who encouraged me to write more and more…thank you so much. It is thanks to you reviewers that I was able to keep going. I'm going to miss you so much, but I hope you'll stick with me and check out my other stories (and maybe the sequel) in the future.**

**Once again, I thank you for being amazing. **

**Now enjoy the final chapter of Shadow Wings…**

"He's gone, Kirby. He's not coming back."

"Poyo…"

"You have to let go now Kirby. Let him go."

"Poyo…"

"For crying out loud Kirby! He's dead! Now get off of him!"

Dedede reached forward and pried Kirby away from Meta Knight's unmoving body, his eyes leaking tears. Kirby gave a weak protest, but after a moment of struggling slumped into Dedede's arms and stared lifelessly at the floor. Escargon slithered forward and began to treat the burns that ran along his pink skin. Sword and Blade stood behind them, heads bowed in grief.

"Poor Meta Knight…" Escargon moaned, stepping back and wiping his eyes.

"Sir…" Blade rasped, voice cracking in sorrow. "If only I had been there…"

"Why couldn't I have died in his place?" Sword whispered. "I can't stand to see him like this! Where would we be without him? What will we do now that he's gone?!" Sword covered his face with his hands.

The two young knights turned away, quiet sobs escaping from beneath their helmets. "Come on, Sword. Let's go…it's going to be all right. Sir Meta Knight wouldn't want us to be so upset." Blade murmured, leading his fellow swordsman towards the exit. Escargon and Dedede exchanged a glance and he set Kirby down.

Escargon sighed, patting his king on the arm. "Let Kirby be alone with Meta Knight. He knew him best." Then the penguin and snail turned and trudged wearily away, closing the door quietly behind them.

Kirby whimpered, and stared at his mentor, holding back the new tears that threatened to burst from his eyes. He buried his face in his stubby, little arms and curled into a ball on the cold floor next to Meta Knight.

Eventually, he fell asleep.

* * *

Darkness.

Meta Knight had been dealing the deathblow to Nightmare, ready to finally exact his revenge and then…the next moment, everything went dark.

What happened? Had Nightmare somehow managed to attack him during his final moments? Was Nightmare actually dead? …Was _he _dead?

Meta Knight looked around, desperate to see past this darkness that had enveloped him so suddenly. Then he saw it…a small light. He began to walk towards it, his legs numb underneath him, as if they weren't his own. The light grew bigger and brighter until finally, he was inside of it. He looked back to see the pool of darkness he had been in, dark in the distance.

Then he saw it…a shining, golden staircase, nearly invisible in the light. Something was telling him to go up the staircase so he walked over, ready to ascend it. Then something abruptly appeared in front of him and shoved him back.

"No way Meta Knight. I'm not letting you go up those stairs." Came a familiar voice.

Meta Knight gasped and looked at the spiky-haired warrior that stood in front of him, shining almost as much as the staircase he was blocking.

"Jecra?"

Jecra grinned. "Nice to see you too, Meta Knight."

"You're dead…I killed you…Nightmare…" Meta Knight stuttered, feeling as if he were about to faint. Then he raised his hands and observed them. They were shining too. He could almost see through them.

"Nightmare…he killed me…didn't he…?" He whispered, and then looked at the stairs in front of him.

Jecra nodded. "Yes, he did. You don't seem that upset, though. Want to explain why?" His friend arched an eyebrow, looking almost comical. "Don't tell me you took what Nightmare said to heart? That you're…_relieved_ to die?"

Meta Knight's eyes widened hurtfully. "Of course not! It's just…I was wondering why you were blocking those stairs. I get the feeling I need to kind of…go up them." He shifted his weight uncomfortably, unsure of what to say.

"Exactly. That's why I'm here to stop you." Jecra said bluntly.

Meta Knight narrowed his eyes, feeling annoyed. "Excuse me?"

"It's not your time to go up those stairs yet." Jecra told him truthfully, "You killed Nightmare and he killed you back. But it's not your time to leave the world—not yet."

"It wasn't your time either." Meta Knight's voice filled with sorrow. "You had a son…a family…I had nothing. That demon beast that ruined your life should have grabbed me instead. Why do I get to live when every other Star Warrior had to die? It just isn't fair."

"Fate is a strange thing, Meta Knight." Jecra said, his eyes shining with a wisdom he had not possessed when he had been alive. "Everything happens for a reason. That demon beast that ruined my life? He was probably going for you. But somehow, he ended up grabbing me instead. That led to my death.

"Maybe the past is full of regrets…things that can't be changed, things that are gone…still, regrets or not, Nightmare is dead. The world is saved. Every event, every battle, every little thing all led up to that one moment when your life ended along with his. And now, the people of the galaxy are free from their fears. It is all thanks to you.

"Still, it was not your time to go. You didn't deserve death after working so hard to save the galaxy. Maybe you don't think so, Meta Knight, but you have a place in the world. There is somewhere you belong…"

"So…I have to go back?" Meta Knight whispered, "I cannot go on through?"

Jecra shook his head. "In the end, I cannot stop you from deciding your path. I just wanted to remind you of what you were leaving behind." With that, he stepped away from the golden staircase, leaving the path wide open for Meta Knight. The knight stared at the staircase in awe, then looked around for Jecra. But his old friend had disappeared, although his spirit was lingering all around him.

"The choice has always been yours…" Jecra whispered, his voice echoing quietly all around him.

The staircase shone bright, beckoning the knight forward, to climb the steps and be forever at peace. Meta Knight obliged, stepping towards the golden, beautiful light. He began to ascend the stairs slowly, warmth flooding throughout his veins. Just as he reached the top, he remembered Jecra's words.

_Remember what you are leaving behind…_

Eyes wide, he stumbled backwards, away from the top, and sprinted back down the stairs. Then, without glancing back, he took off towards the pool of darkness that awaited him. Jecra reappeared, watching his friend as he fell away into the black.

The warrior sighed, closed his eyes, and smiled ever so slightly.

"Thank you for making the right decision, my friend…"

* * *

With a start, Kirby jerked awake, blinking sleep from his eyes. The past events washed over him, and he felt as if he were being torn in two. With a small sob he sat up, staring sadly at the ground underneath him. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths. Then he looked over at his mentor's dead body and—

It was gone.

"Poyo?!" He shouted, scrambling to his feet. He looked all around, a panicked expression spread across his face. Had they taken Meta Knight away to be buried? "Poyo!" He shrieked with rage. How could they?! He started towards the door, but a soft voice from behind stopped him.

"Kirby?"

Kirby turned to see Meta Knight staring back at him. Kirby's heart skipped a beat. Meta Knight had said his name. He was there.

He was _alive_.

The knight looked just as surprised as him. For a long time, they stood there, staring at one another. Then with a yowl of delight, Kirby launched himself at his beloved mentor, nearly knocking him over as he hugged him.

"Ouch! Kirby!" Meta Knight cringed. Kirby loosened his grip and looked at Meta Knight's two wings that hung limply at his sides, crusted with blood. His mask was still cracked and cuts and bruises were spread across his blue skin. Still, his eyes shone with life and that was what mattered. "Calm down," He said, gently pushing Kirby away, "It's all right. I'm back."

Kirby's eyes welled up with a fresh wave of tears. Meta Knight's eyes widened in shock, afraid he had upset the puffball. "Why are you crying, Kirby?"

Kirby wiped his face and wailed, "Me so happy…happy Meda alive! Thought you…you wa dead!" Then he hugged Meta Knight once more, careful this time to avoid the more battered parts of his body.

Meta Knight's eyes softened and he reached down and patted Kirby on the head tenderly. "It wasn't my time to leave." He said wisely. Then his eyes glowed pink with sudden amusement. He stepped away from Kirby and took his shattered mask off. Scars, old and new, were carved into his face. He turned to look at Kirby and once more saw himself reflected in the young Star Warrior's face. A smile spread across his face. As it did, Kirby returned the smile, blinking warmly at his beloved mentor.

"Somehow it seems that I always manage to survive. I'm afraid life has become a bit of an annoying habit of mine…but I'm not quite ready to break that habit." With a small laugh, Meta Knight slipped on his mask and swept his gloved hand towards the door. "Come." He said simply and the two Star Warriors walked outside and into the bright new future that awaited them.

* * *

Six months later…

* * *

"Okay, Kirby. That's enough for today. You did well."

"Poyo!"

Kirby took off his sword copy ability, wriggling with delight. Meta Knight put away Galaxia and wrapped his cape around him and his shiny new mask. Fumu, Bun, and the rest of the children stood nearby on the grassy hill, looking awkward at being so close to the knight that they had wrongly assumed was a demon beast.

After the traumatizing events that had happened many months ago, Dedede had explained everything that took place with the help of Kirby and other supporters such as Sword and Blade. He told them their story and some accepted it; those who didn't, Dedede had threatened with the death penalty, forcing them to accept it as well. Finally, peace had returned and Meta Knight was once again a resident of the castle.

For a while, he stayed in his room, letting his wounds heal and being regularly attended to by Escargon and Waddle Dees. When he was finally able to move without feeling pain, he donned a new mask, cape, gloves, and armor and went right back to training Kirby. Very slowly, he began to win back the respect of the citizens with the help of his apprentice.

Meanwhile, King Dedede eventually got bored and actually tried to order some demon beasts, but of course, no one was there to obey his orders. All was well now that Nightmare was dead and, finally, Dreamland was saved.

"Why do you keep training him even though Nightmare is gone?" Bun asked curiously.

"He is a Star Warrior. Fighting is apart of his nature and he must perfect that fighting with training…he must always be ready for the unexpected." Meta Knight said simply.

"Right. Poyo." Kirby confirmed, nodding his head importantly.

Fumu frowned, shuffling her feet nervously. "I see…well, we're going back to the village to play. Are you coming Kirby?"

"No!" He answered, smiling proudly at his accomplished vocabulary.

The children shrugged and turned away to trudge back to the village in the distance. "See you later, Kirby." Bun called over his shoulder before disappearing down the hill. Kirby stood, watching them leave.

With a nod to the puffball, Meta Knight turned and began to head in the direction of the castle when he felt a tug of his cape and looked back to see Kirby holding onto it. He smiled and continued to pull at it. Meta Knight sighed, rolling his pure golden eyes.

"Kirby, today of all days?"

"Please?"

"You know I'm not getting any younger…"

"Please?"

Meta Knight paused for a very long time, his expression soft. "Well…all right." He finally said. Kirby beamed and let go of his cape. The cape disappeared and in its placed appeared two shadowy wings. With a squeak of joy, Kirby climbed on his back, wrapping his paws around Meta Knight's armor. As soon as he was in place, he peeked down at him, eyes shining with excitement.

"Ready?" Meta Knight asked.

"Ready!" Kirby shouted gleefully.

Meta Knight pushed off of the ground, his wings beating the air as he climbed up into the clear blue sky. When he was high enough, he spread his wings and began to glide effortlessly through the air. The wind whistled past them as they soared above the peaceful land beneath them, passing over forests, oceans, and rivers. Kirby squealed with delight as they passed through a cloud.

And as Meta Knight flew through the air, the sun shining down, and the sky filled with Kirby's laughs, his eyes turned blue with pure happiness.

And there it occurred to him that he was right where he belonged after all.

~The End~

* * *

**No way! It's over! But not quite…please author alert me if you are interested in the sequel! I know some sequels ruin the original stories, so you don't have to read it if you don't want to, but I will still try my best! Also, you should check out my next story too, which will be about Claus, an awesome guy from Mother 3 (Lucas's game) who is a lot like Meta Knight! He's got a mask, *mechanical* bat wings, evil issues, and he's awesome! I sound like I'm advertising…well maybe I am.  
**

**So make sure to review and please keep in touch because I love all of you! You are the greatest reviewers ever!!!**

**Well, if you are reading this, thank you for sticking with my story all the way to the end! I hope to hear from you guys in the future.**

**Until then, so long!**

**-twilitprincess**


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